Grand jury in Prude death voted to not indict 3 cops

A grand jury investigating the police suffocation death of Daniel Prude last year in Rochester, N.Y., voted 15-5 not to indict the three officers who restrained him, according to transcripts of the proceedings released Friday.

Prosecutors from the state attorney general’s office had asked the grand jury to consider a criminally negligent homicide charge for the officers, who were seen on body camera footage holding and pressing the 41-year-old Black man against the frigid pavement in March 2020 until he stopped breathing.

Prosecutors sought no other charges, according to the transcripts, and told grand jurors that they had the option of choosing not to indict if they believed the officers’ use of force was justified. Five jurors indicated they would have voted to indict at least one of the officers.