WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn — Multiple people were arrested at a protest in Brooklyn calling for justice for Daniel Prude, a man who was killed by officers in Rochester last spring.
An NYPD spokesperson early Thursday said four people were given summonses for obstructing traffic, while two were given desk appearance tickets for obstructing governmental administration.
Social media video showed a large group of officers march toward the protest — along with several police vehicles in the area — with a recording repeating commands to exit the area to avoid charges.
According to social media posts, cops were accused of kettling protesters, a tactic that’s become controversial over the past year.
Protesters marched through Brooklyn and ended at a nightly McCarren Park vigil, a social media user said.
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the NYPD in January over officer treatment of protesters during demonstrations over the police-custody death of George Floyd.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the Rochester officers who restrained Prude, a Black man, until he stopped breathing, will not face charges. The decision was made by a grand jury decision and the ruling was announced by James, who voiced her displeasure with the decision.
“We sought a different outcome than the one the grand jury handed us today,” James said, noting she was disappointed and knew Prude’s family would also be disappointed. “The criminal justice system is badly in need of reform. The system was built to shield and protect officers.”
Large protests also took place in Rochester this week.
