Video: Police put hood on man killed by asphyxiation
A Black manwho had run naked through the streets of Rochester died of asphyxiation after a group of police officers put a hood over his head, then pressed his face into the pavement for two minutes, according to video and records released by the man’s family.
Daniel Prude died March 30 after hewas taken off life support, seven days after the encounter with Rochester police. His death received no public attention until Wednesday, when his family released police body camera videoandwrittenreports theyobtained throughapublic records request.
“Howdid you see him and not directly say, ‘The man is defenseless, buck naked on the ground. He’s cuffed up already.Comeon.’Howmany more brothers gotta die for society to understand that this needs to stop?” Prude’s brother, Joe Prude, asked at a news conference.
The videos show Prude, whohadtakenoffhis clothes, complying when police ask him to get on the ground and put his hands behind his back. Prude is agitated and shouting as officers let him writhe as he sits on the pavement in handcuffs for a few momentsas a lightsnowfalls.
Then, they put a white “spit hood” over his head, a device intended to protect officers from a detainee’s saliva. At the time, New Yorkwas in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
Prude demands they remove it.
Then the officer’s slam Prude’s head into the street. One officer holds his head down against the pavement with both hands, saying “stop spitting” as Prude’s shouts turn towhimpers and grunts. Anotherofficerplaces a knee on his back. The officers appear to become concerned when they notice water coming out of Prude’s mouth.
“My man. You puking?” one says.
Prude stops moving and falls silent. One officer notes that he’s been out, naked, in the street for some time.
Another remarks, “He feels pretty cold.”
His head had been held down by an officer for just over 2minutes.
Medics can then be seen onthe video performingCPR before he’s loaded into an ambulance.
Spithoodshavebeenscrutinized as a factor inthedeaths of several prisoners in the U.S. and other countries in recent years.
A medical examiner concludedthatPrude’sdeathwas a homicide caused by “complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint.” The report lists excited delirium and acute intoxication by phencyclidine, or PCP, as contributing factors.
Prude was from Chicago and had just arrived inRochester for a visit with his family. Police responded after Joe Prude called 911 to report that his brother had left his house andwas experiencing mental health issues.
Thecityhalteditsinvestigation into Prude’sdeathwhen stateAttorneyGeneralLetitia James’ office began its own investigation in April.