Rochester police triggered wide-ranging reaction over the weekend as they released body camera footage of a 9-year-old girl being detained and then pepper sprayed after an incident on Friday.
The incident happened after a family trouble call which did not involve the city’s new Person in Crisis Team (PIC) because it was originally reported as possibly involving a stolen car. Police said in a news release they were informed by the girl’s custodial parent that she was possibly suicidal. They detained her as a possible threat to herself, but as she began to struggle and fought being placed inside a police car, they took her to the ground, handcuffed her, and as she continued to struggle, used pepper spray.
Mayor Lovely Warren in a Saturday news conference called the event unjustified. The case is under internal review.
Mayor Warren says she doesn’t know what it feels like to be a police officer, but she does know what it feels like to be a mother and that it’s clear “we need to more supporting our children and families.”
City Council officials and the director of Rochester’s new Police Accountability Board also demanded answers.
Rochester Police Union Head Michael Mazzeo said this was not about lack of compassion or empathy. He said the officers dealt with a very difficult situation with limited resources. He said they didn’t break any protocols and tried other methods to calm the child before using the chemical.