ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The City of Rochester’s Office of Public Integrity has cleared all city employees of any potential wrongdoing in connection to the death of Daniel Prude.
In a 48-page report released Tuesday (read the full document below), the city’s Office of Public Integrity found no employee “violated city or departmental policies or ethical standards.”
This Office of Public Integrity investigation was independent from ongoing investigations by Rochester City Council and the New York State Attorney General’s Office into Daniel Prude’s death, as well as an internal Rochester Police Department investigation — all of which remain ongoing.
The report said it didn’t find evidence that any city employee was more aware or involved in the city’s response than has been previously stated publicly. The report said in part:
“After interviewing City employees, reviewing relevant City records, and examining related policies, procedures, and ethical standards, OPI found no evidence that any City employee within its jurisdiction, violated City or departmental policies or ethical standards with respect to their actions in response to the death of Mr. Prude. Based on this finding and the limited scope of the investigation. This matter is closed as “not provable.”
The report says the investigators sought to interview former Rochester Police Chief La’Ron Singletary for the report, but only received a sworn statement from Singletary’s lawyer.
The report also found opportunities for city policies, procedures, and standards to be created or changed to improve operations. Some of the recommendations include a policy to improve reporting of critical events to the mayor, improvement of the FOIL system, and a review of access relating to police worn body camera video.
Prude, a 41-year-old Black man from Chicago, died after an encounter with Rochester police back in March, but news of the incident first came to light on September 2.
The autopsy report from the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death of Prude a homicide. The report says Prude’s cause of death includes “complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint.” The report also showed that Prude also had a small amount of PCP in his system at the time of the encounter with police.
A federal civil lawsuit filed from the Prude family against the City of Rochester alleges there was an internal cover-up.
Aside from former Police Chief La’Ron Singletary, who was fired by Mayor Lovely Warren in September, several other high-ranking members within the RPD’s command staff have also announced retirements, in a major leadership shake-up for the city’s police department.
Seven Rochester police officers have been suspended with pay in connection to the incident: Officers Mark Vaughn, Troy Taladay, Paul Ricotta, Francisco Santiago, Andrew Specksgoor, Josiah Harris, and Sgt. Michael Magri.