Shocking video has emerged of a black mental health patient being asphyxiated to death by police officers in Rochester, New York state. The incident occurred in March of this year, weeks before the killing of George Floyd, but it is only now that the video has been released to the public. A coroner has determined that the death was a homicide.
Daniel Prude, 41, was suffering from a mental health condition and his brother phoned authorities in order to have him put safely into treatment. Mr. Prude was running naked through the streets in freezing temperatures and had attended a hospital earlier that day saying that he had suicidal thoughts.
In the video, Mr. Prude is approached by officers in the street and told to get on the ground and put his arms behind his back. He does this calmly and immediately and he is then cuffed. He then has a spit hood placed over his head. He then asks for one of the officer's guns, at which point they force him onto the ground and his head is forced more firmly into the ground. At no time did Mr. Prude pose any threat to officers as he was securely cuffed, unarmed and completely naked.
Officers can then be heard laughing as they think Mr. Prude is being sick as paramedics arrive. They then realise that he has no pulse and is not breathing. However, no one shows any deep concern and they simply ask for hand-sanitiser.
He died some days later in hospital. Why officers found the need to force him repeatedly into the ground with a knee on his body is not clear. Nor is the reason why they found it funny that he was in such discomfort, suffering both mental and physical pain.
Mr. Prude's brother, who had been the one that had phoned the police to get help for his brother, said:
I placed a phone call for my brother to get help. Not for my brother to get lynched. The man is defenseless, buck naked on the ground. He's cuffed up already. Come on. How many more brothers gotta die for society to understand that this needs to stop?
As the video emerged, protests began in upstate New York and minor rioting has already occurred. As the video is still new it is unclear what the public reaction will be or how the mass street movement will respond.
The fact that Mr. Prude was not involved in any serious criminality and was a mental health patient adds to the anger that has already emerged.
Some though have demanded that the officers be charged with murder, as has been the case with the officers involved in the George Floyd incident.
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