City of Rochester to pay $12M following death of Daniel Prude in police custody

by Julia Mueller - 10/06/22 12:44 PM ET

FILE – Armin Prude, left, and Joe Prude hold an enlarged photo of Daniel Prude, Sept. 3, 2020, who died following a police encounter, in Rochester, N.Y. City officials have agreed to pay $12-million to the family of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died after police held him down until he stopped breathing after encountering him running naked through the snowy streets of Rochester, NY. A federal judge approved the settlement in a court document filed Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

The family of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died after he was restrained by police officers in Rochester, N.Y., will receive $12 million in a settlement with the city, according to a new court filing.

After months of mediated negotiations, the parties agreed to allocate half of the $12 million as compensation for Prude’s pain and suffering and another half as compensation for his children’s financial losses resulting from their father’s death, according to a Thursday order from a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of New York.

Prude’s children alleged in the wrongful death lawsuit, which was first filed in 2020, that Rochester police used unlawful force to restrain him during a “mental health” arrest, and that the officers’ actions led to his death.

Prude, who was experiencing a mental health crisis when police arrived, died by asphyxiation a week after officers put a hood over his head and pressed his face into pavement to restrain him.

A medical examiner later determined that Prude’s death was a homicide, according to court documents.

The lawsuit also accused the police department of a “cover up” and a “refusal to discipline” the involved officers. News of Prude’s death sparked protests over police brutality and racism in arrests.

The settlement means the lawsuit will be dismissed with no admission of liability, and with the right to appeal waived. Minus attorney fees, the settlement money will go to Prude’s five children.

“Given the costs of continued litigation, this settlement was the best decision. It would have cost taxpayers even more to litigate, and would have placed a painful toll on our community,” Rochester Mayor Malik Evans (D) said of the $12 million settlement in a statement to The Hill.

“It is now time to look forward so we may work together and focus our efforts on Rochester’s future,” Evans said.