Department of Justice says it will conduct civil rights review of Prude case

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — The Department of Justice Tuesday issued a statement saying it will launch a federal civil rights review into the Daniel Prude case.

The DOJ will review the Attorney General’s report and determine whether any further federal response is warranted.

This comes after a grand jury decided not to indict the seven police officers involved in the incident last March. The decision sparked protests in Rochester.

Body camera video released from the scene on Jefferson Avenue shows Prude naked in the street in March 2020. It shows some erratic behavior, but it shows he followed police commands. When he tried to sit up while handcuffed, the video shows police put him back down on the ground and pinned him.

The video also shows one officer in a push-up stance with his hands on Prude’s head and neck. Less than 10 minutes after he was handcuffed, Prude stopped breathing. He had no pulse and was getting CPR when he was put in an ambulance. Prude died a week later after he was taken off life support.

There are also three other active investigations by city of Rochester entities: The City Council’s independent investigation, The Rochester Police Accountability Board’s probe into RPD’s response to protests last summer and fall and the Rochester Police Department’s internal investigation.

For full coverage on the death of Daniel Prude, click here.