The Rochester Police Department says it’s conducting an internal investigation into an accusation of police brutality.
According to the Reverend Lewis Stewart of United Christian Leadership Ministry, a man named Christopher Pate was mistaken for a suspect in a criminal investigation by two officers. Pate claims he was detained at Fulton Avenue and Bloss Street, gave his ID to one of the officers, then says he was grabbed, shot with a Taser, handcuffed and finally punched in the face.
Pate was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The charges were thrown out in City Court.
Reverend Stewart says the officers involved deserve to be prosecuted. He went on to say there’s a war being perpetrated on black men, both locally and nationally.
Deputy Rochester Police Chief LeRon Singletary says the department is taking the charges seriously. They’re checking to see if there’s any police body camera video of the incident and any surveillance video captured by cameras in the area.