#Rochester officials say police union head saw Daniel Prude video in April

Rochester officials have accused the head of the city officers’ union of lying about when he received bodycam video of the fatal arrest of Daniel Prude, according to a report.

Police Locust Club President Mike Mazzeo said during a press conference last week that he first saw the footage when it surfaced publicly just two days earlier, according to WROC-TV.

But city officials said the union chief was included in an email chain in April that contained the footage of Prude, 41, who was confronted by police on March 23 while he was naked and in distress.

Prude suffocated after cops placed a “spit hood” over his head and pushed him to the ground.

The Rochester Police Locust Club did not respond to a request for comment from the news outlet.


Meanwhile, Mazzeo on Wednesday called for Mayor Lovely Warren to resign.

“The safety of the community cannot be carried out with Mayor Warren in office,” he said at a press conference.

The mayor, in turn, called for the union leader to step down.

“For 30 years, the problem with policing in Rochester are cops like Mike Mazzeo that watch the video of Daniel Prude’s death and see nothing wrong,” she said, according to WROC.

“Who believe there is nothing wrong with driving Mr. Prude’s head into the street. Who believe there is nothing wrong with other officers standing by, joking and failing to intervene while Mr. Prude is dying. Who think its fine to just casually ignore him as he takes his last breath, and then callously and falsely inform his brother who begged for him not to be harmed,” she contined.

“Mike Mazzeo and his ilk exist only to protect and serve themselves, and certainly not the people of the City of Rochester,” Warren added. “It is time for Mike Mazzeo to resign, because his archaic ways of policing are no longer wanted in the City of Rochester.”

On Tuesday, the city police force’s “entire command staff” — including Chief La’Ron Singletary — announced their retirement amid continuing protests over the death.

The mayor has suspended seven cops pending an investigation into their roles the death, which has been ruled a homicide after an autopsy report said Prude’s cause of death includes “complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint.”