Ep. 9 - Fighting for Daniel Prude: Police Brutality and Protestor Rights with Don Thompson and Jill Paperno

This episode looks at the tragic and unnecessary death of Daniel Prude, a black man suffering from a mental health crisis when he was killed by police in March 2020 in Rochester, NY. However, the true nature of his death was concealed by police and possibly the city government until police body camera footage was released to the family and made public in September.

Rochestarians and activists like Free The People Roc and BLack Lives Matter, who protested the death of George Floyd, returned to the streets to demand justice for Daniel Prude. The police responded to the protests with a violent, militarized crackdown causing serious, and in some cases permanent damage to protesters. 

Mary and Lee wanted to tell the story of Daniel Prude and Rochester’s response, because of their personal connections to the community. But more importantly, because what happened here can and is occurring across the country. 

Mary interviews two attorneys involved with lawsuits and legal representation of Daniel Prude’s family and protesters seeking justice and accountability for Daniel Prude’s death. Don Thompson returns to the pod as a lawyer representing Daniel Prude’s family and protesters who were seriously injured as part of the protests. He is also part of  litigation that is aimed at holding the government accountable for its failures, as well as changing police practices and the treatment of those who need assistance during a mental health crisis.  Jill Paperno, First Assistant Public Defender at Monroe County Public Defender’s Office joins us to discuss her role in defending protesters. 

The last part of the episode focuses on ways to protect yourself if you protest. What rights do protesters have? What types of charges could  you face if you are at a protest that becomes contentious? What can you do if you are stopped or detained by police, if you witness an arrest, or if you are being arrested?  What should you do after you are arrested? Valuable information to have especially give the hostility the Trump Administration and Attorney General Barr have towards protesters.  

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-happened-daniel-prude.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/09/nyregion/daniel-prude-rochester-police-mental-health.html
• https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/18/us/daniel-prude-rochester-city-council/index.html
• https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/09/29/917317141/rochester-hospital-released-daniel-prude-hours-before-fatal-encounter-with-polic
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2020/09/15/police-killed-mentally-ill-daniel-prude-callous-ignorant-column/5792666002/
• https://www.yahoo.com/gma/protester-allegedly-assaults-officers-inside-124720833.html
• https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2020/10/02/lovely-warren-indicted-rochester-mayor-accused-campaign-finance-fraud/5892804002/
• https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2020/09/25/ryan-howe-rylea-autumn-daniel-prude-rochester-ny-federal-riot-charges-antifa/3538856001/
• https://nypost.com/2020/09/24/rochester-pd-spent-1-4m-in-ot-on-daniel-prude-blm-protests/
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/barr-tells-prosecutors-to-consider-charging-violent-protesters-with-sedition-11600276683