Mayor Beautiful Warren introduced that Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan, who labored for the Rochester Police Division for 24 years earlier than her retirement in 2009, will take over as interim chief, efficient October 14.
She turns into the primary feminine chief within the historical past of the embattled division.
Prude’s loss of life and police physique digicam footage of the deadly encounter have prompted protests in Rochester and accusations of a cover-up.
Warren launched Sullivan at a information convention Saturday.
“I’m assured that she is going to deliver a distinct perspective and instill a recent method to policing — each of that are very a lot wanted in our metropolis, notably at this troublesome time,” Warren mentioned.
Herriott-Sullivan joined the division in 1985 and final labored as govt lieutenant within the workplace of the chief.
“I do know these are robust occasions proper now however I imagine strongly that if all of us deliver our greatest high the desk we will get it carried out,” Herriott-Sullivan mentioned.
“I like this metropolis and I will give it my 110, 20, 40, 50% p.c effort,” she mentioned
Prude, 41, was having a psychological well being episode on March 23 when his brother known as the Rochester Police Division for assist, in line with his household.
Video confirmed officers handcuff Prude, who was bare, in the course of a snowy moist road, and place the masking over his head.
A number of minutes later, EMTs arrived and started to carry out chest compressions, the video confirmed. He was then positioned on a gurney and into an ambulance.
When Prude arrived on the hospital, he was mind useless, in line with his household. He died every week later, on March 30.
His loss of life was dominated a murder by the Monroe County Medical Examiner. The post-mortem report cited issues of asphyxia within the setting of bodily restraint. It additionally cited excited delirium and acute PCP intoxication as causes of loss of life.
The Rochester Metropolis Council has approved an unbiased investigation, tasking a regulation agency with figuring out what occurred inside authorities businesses after Prude’s loss of life.
Town this month launched greater than 300 pages of inside communications, police experiences and different paperwork that present a concerted effort by police and native officers to manage the narrative round Prude’s loss of life in custody and delay the discharge of police physique digicam footage of his interplay with police.
New York Lawyer Basic Letitia James introduced earlier this month that she was empaneling a grand jury to research the loss of life.
