Protests flared up in New York over the video that newly surfaced on the internet of a 41-year-old black man who was suffocated to death when officers put a spit hood over his head and pressed his head on the cold ground.
This incident happened on 23rd March before George Floyd died in Minnesota police custody in May. A newly surfaced bodycam footage showed that a 41-year-old Daniel Prude, was handcuffed and the cops put a hood over his head, then pressed his head on the cold ground until he stopped breathing.
After the occurrence, Daniel Prude was declared brain dead, but he died on 30th March when his family decided to take off life support.
All of this started when Daniel’s brother called the authorities for help because Daniel was suffering from a mental health episode. Daniel walked out of the house at 3 am in his underwear, tank top, and socks. As he was walking through the neighborhood, he started to take off his clothes, upon his behavior, several people made a call on 911.
Officer Mark Vaughn stopped Daniel and asked him to lay down on the ground, the officer handcuffed him. As Daniel became aggressive, the police put a spit hood on his head and start laughing at him.
The situation escalated when Daniel tried to get away, three cops pushed him down by their knees for more than three minutes. The cops became worried when he stopped screaming, and fluid started to come out of his mouth.
EMT arrived at the scene and start attempting chest compressions on him and loaded him into an ambulance.
He was then rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead and placed on life support, but he died a week later.
On Wednesday, Daniel’s family held a press conference, to reveal the footage.
Daniel’s brother Joe said that he called the authorities for assistance, not kill my brother. He further said that how the police could not see the defenseless naked man on the ground? He asked how many more brothers have to die to make the society understand that this brutality needs to stop.
Protestors gathered outside the Rochester’s Public Safety Building on Wednesday and demanded to prosecute all the officers who were involved in Daniel Prude’s death.
Attorney Elliot Shields, who is representing Prude’s family said that prude’s family will sue every officer who was involved in Daniel prude’s death.
Prude was the father of five adult children, and he was working at the warehouse. According to Daniel’s aunt, Letoria Moore, Daniel was a bright, loving, and family-oriented person.
Protestors are demanding that all the officers who are responsible for Daniel’s death should be prosecuted, and they should be removed from the department.
Ashley Gantt of Free the People ROC said that the police have shown us that they are incapable of handling mentally challenged individuals. These cops are trained just to kill they don’t know how to de-escalate the situation, and they know how to ridicule an individual than to give support.
How many more people have to die to make society realize that this brutality needs to be stopped :(