The City of Rochester has reached a settlement with the family of Daniel Prude, who died in the hospital after being physically restrained by Rochester police.
A statement Thursday morning from Mayor Malik Evans says the agreement, reached after two years of negotiations, will pay the Prude estate $12 million. Four million will go to the lawyers, the rest will be distributed among Prude’s five children.
The mayor said: “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. It is now time to look forward so we may work together and focus our efforts on Rochester’s future.”
Daniel Prude died in March of 2020, one week after police encountered him having a drug-fueled mental breakdown on Jefferson Avenue. They restrained him and put a so-called “spit sock” over his head. At some point, he stopped breathing.
A special investigation concluded the city suppressed information about the incident and it didn’t come to light util September of 2020. It sparked a series of protests through Rochester streets.