U.S : JUSTICE FOR DANIEL PRUDE.

Dear friend,

Last Wednesday, Daniel Prude's family released bodycam footage showing his brutal murder by Rochester police officers Mark Vaughn, Troy Taladay, and Francisco Santiago in March. Since then : 

• Activists and organizers on the ground in Rochester have held demonstrations for six straight nights;¹
• Seven Rochester police officers involved in Daniel Prude’s murder have been suspended with pay;²
• And just hours ago — rather than face the consequences of their officers’ actions — Rochester's police chief AND deputy police chief suddenly resigned.³

But here’s what hasn’t happened : none of the cops who murdered Daniel Prude on video have been charged. Nothing has been done to make sure what happened to him never happens again. 

Last-minute suspensions and cowardly resignations are not justice, dear friend. That’s why we need your help :

Call Rochester's mayor, city councilmembers, and district attorney: Fire the police officers who murdered Daniel Prude, and change how Rochester and its police respond to mental health crises now.

MAKE CALLS NOW

Dear friend, the videotaped murder of Daniel Prude lays bare the problems of policing in its current form : Cities rely on armed police officers to respond to nearly every kind of emergency — emergencies they cannot and should not respond to. 

Police officers are not equipped to solve homelessness or to protect people who are unhoused and simply trying to survive. Police officers are not equipped to respond to medical emergencies and mental health crises. And most obviously, police do not keep Black, Brown, and Indigenous people safe. 

Daniel Prude’s murder also shows us that reform isn’t enough. Body cameras didn’t stop Rochester police officers Mark Vaughn, Troy Taladay, and Francisco Santiago from slamming a Black man who needed mental health assistance onto the ground and suffocating him. In fact, the footage wasn’t even released until 6 months after Daniel Prude was murdered in the street. 

You and more than 70,000 Color Of Change members stood with us to demand JUSTICE for Daniel Prude — not cowardly resignations and half measures. 

But making real, meaningful change requires persistent action. In our fight against police violence, if we aren’t pressing forward, we’re falling further behind. And we can’t ramp up the pressure on Rochester city officials without help from people like you, dear friend. 

Make calls to demand Rochester officials immediately charge the police officers who murdered Daniel Prude and move forward legislation that requires trained medical professionals to respond to medical calls.

Thank you for staying the course with us and activists in New York, dear friend. The nation is watching Rochester — and what we do in this moment couldn’t be more important. 

Until justice is real,

Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Ernie, Madison, Leonard, McKayla and the rest of the Color of Change Team.

MAKE CALLS NOW

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References :

1. "Rochester protests: Rally from MLK Park marks sixth straight night of demonstrations." 07 September 2020, Democrat & Chronicle. 

2. "7 Rochester Police Officers Suspended in Death of Black Man Whom They Hooded." 03 September 2020, The New York Times.

3. "Rochester police chief, entire command staff retire suddenly following protests over death of Daniel Prude." 08 September 2020, NBC News.

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