ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Rochester City Council President Loretta Scott has signed off on the request for subpoenas to be sent in regards to the independent investigation into Daniel Prude’s death.
The subpoenas — issued to the entire office of Mayor Lovely Warren, the Rochester Police Department, the City of Rochester’s legal department, and City Council itself — were delivered to independent investigator Andrew Celli Jr. Monday.
During a briefing with media Friday, Celli Jr. said the focus of the investigation is to find out if there was indeed a cover up, as the Prude family has alleged in a federal civil lawsuit against the City of Rochester.
MORE | Mayor Warren on RPD’s handling of Daniel Prude death: ‘Clear deception,’ done purposefully
Celli Jr. said the mayor’s office’s preliminary report on the matter didn’t paint a full picture of what transpired, and he said testimony is necessary in addition to documents. He said he expects the mayor’s office to cooperate.
Subpoenas
Prude, a 41-year-old Black man from Chicago, died after an encounter with Rochester police back in March, but news of the incident just came to light on September 2, and now the case is being investigated by the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
The autopsy report from the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death of Prude a homicide. The report says Prude’s cause of death includes “complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint.” The report also showed that Prude also had a small amount of PCP in his system at the time of his death, which could explain his erratic behavior.
MORE | WATCH: Footage of encounter between Daniel Prude and Rochester police officers before his death
Seven Rochester police officers have been suspended with pay in connection to the incident: Officers Mark Vaughn, Troy Taladay, Paul Ricotta, Francisco Santiago, Andrew Specksgoor, Josiah Harris, and Sgt. Michael Magri.
Protests have been ongoing in Rochester since the news broke September 2.
Check back with News 8 WROC as we will continue to update this developing story.
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