A 41-year old black man by the name of Daniel Prude died in police custody in Rochester, New York on March 23rd, 2020. Prude’s family says the cause of death was suffocation due to the “spit guard” which was placed over Prude’s face during his arrest. The incident has called for protests and for the resignation of the officers involved, who are still currently working in Rochester. Dashcam and/or body-worn camera footage has been released and that should be the officers’ saving grace if justice is the true goal in this case.
Start From The Top
The story of Daniel Prude’s death begins at night on a cold, lightly snowy street in Rochester, New York which is not far from Toronto, Ontario. Daniel Prude was in Chicago visiting his brother, Joe. Joe wound up calling the police on Daniel due to his erratic behavior. Joe has told the media that his brother suffers from a mental problem. When the police arrived at the scene, Daniel was naked and behaving in an extremely erratic fashion.
In the dashcam footage, evidence of Mr. Prude’s erratic behavior is clear. He was cursing repeatedly, calling for Jesus Christ, referring to parts of his body in a crude way, threatening to kill everyone in a nearby home, and more. He was obviously in the middle of a drug-induced episode. The police couldn’t have been nicer. They were trying everything they could to work with him and not hurt him.
When Things Go Downhill
At one point during Daniel’s arrest, he began to rant about having the Chinese Virus. This arrest happened back in late March of 2020, which is right around the time when virus hysteria was peaking in the United States. While alleging that he has the virus, Prude also began to spit. So the officers put what they call a “spit guard” over his head. Some gas-lighting media are referring to the guard as a “white hood.”
Police were successfully able to get the wildly erratic Daniel Prude under control. With the spit guard on his head, the officers placed him face down on the ground with a knee in his back. Officers also restrained his hands and feet. Soon after this, Prude was unconscious and winds up brain dead in the hospital. He dies shortly thereafter. This series of events has been described as a “suffocation” due to the spit guard that was placed on his face. Medical professionals on the scene observed a clear case of “excited delirium” which is similar to what George Floyd went through.
This case happened back on March 23rd, 2020 but there will certainly be more updates. Refresh this page periodically for more information.
SOURCES:
Daniel Prude was suffocated by Rochester police, his family says | WXXI News
Daniel Prude’s Arrest Video Shows Apparent Suffocation, Cops Under Fire
Daniel Prude’s family calls for Rochester officers’ arrest in his death after they knelt on him – CNN
Black man died after being restrained by police in Rochester, New York
Daniel Prude: Black Man Suffocates After Rochester Police Put Hood on Him – The New York Times
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