World
No charges for US officers over 'spit-hood' death
February 24, 2021 1:31 pm
Daniel Prude died a week after he was restrained by police. [Source: BBC]
New York police officers filmed restraining an unarmed black man until he stopped breathing will not be charged over his death.
Daniel Prude, who had mental health issues, died in Rochester city after officers put him in “spit hood” designed to protect police.
The death in March last year led to days of protests against police.
On Tuesday, New York’s attorney general said a grand jury had declined to indict any officers in the case.
“In the course of our investigation, we concluded that there was sufficient evidence surrounding Mr Prude’s death to warrant presenting the case to Grand Jury. I know that the Prude family, the Rochester community and communities across the country will rightfully be disappointed by this outcome my office presented an extensive case, and we sought a different outcome than the one the grand jury handed us today.”
A grand jury is set up by a prosecutor to determine whether there is enough evidence to pursue a prosecution. In legal terms, it determines whether probable cause exists to believe a crime has been committed.
