Chief La'Ron Singletary relieved of duty, learns of dismissal via Twitter
Mayor Lovely Warren on Monday released a preliminary report on the city's response to the death of Daniel Prude and promised a raft of upcoming actions.
She also immediately relieved Police Chief La'Ron Singletary of his command in the same peremptory fashion that he announced his upcoming retirement last week, leaving him to learn the news via social media.
Warren also suspended Corporation Counsel Tim Curtin and Communications Director Justin Roj without pay. She did not take any questions.
Later, Mark Simmons, deputy chief of administration, was named acting chief. He served as interim chief before Singletary's appointment. Earlier, he resigned his command post to return to the rank of lieutenant at month's end.
Warren made the announcement moments after leaving a virtual briefing of City Council. Singletary had joined that briefing from his office and Curtin sat alongside the mayor; no mention was made of what was to come.
Singletary similarly informed Warren of his retirement and the command staff resignations last week just as another such briefing was about to begin.
The report, and a ream of new documents showing back-and-forth among law enforcement and City Hall, came at a hastily called press conference at City Hall as the Warren administration attempts to contain the fallout of Prude's death at the hands of Rochester police.
As she did at a press conference earlier this month, the mayor began by apologizing for her own inaction, then pivoted to doling out blame to other administration officials. She cited the preliminary review by Deputy Mayor James Smith showing high-ranking police command and the city legal team debating ways to withhold, delay and minimize disclosure of Prude's death.
"We have a pervasive problem in the Rochester Police Department, one that views everything through the eyes of the badge," the mayor said, adding: "The culture of policing in Rochester must change."
After months of public inaction, Rochester shortly will be flush with investigators. Warren said she is inviting the U.S. Department of Justice and the city's own Office of Public Integrity to examine aspects of the city's response.
That is in addition to Attorney General Letitia James' criminal investigation, RPD's own internal investigation, City Council's upcoming investigation and the ongoing document discovery associated with the Prude family's lawsuit against the city.
Another round of public protests is scheduled for Monday evening, even as RPD operates with no apparent appointed leadership. Those protesters have demanded that Warren, too, resign.
Reforms promised
Prude, 41, died in March from injuries sustained while being restrained by police. The death did not become public knowledge until this month, however, when the Prude family held a news conference and released video obtained from police body-worn cameras.
What happened: How Daniel Prude suffocated as Rochester police restrained him
Warren outlined a series of measures Monday, saying that Smith's review had provided the groundwork.
She said the city's Office of Public Integrity would "determine if any employees — including herself — violated city or departmental policies or ethical standards." The city will bring in an outside agency to assess police training manuals, general orders and regulations, as well as the city's open records process.
The Prude family lawyer requested video in the case back in April but the city did not fulfill the demand until August. The documents released Monday show Curtin stalling for time with the help of RPD leaders, including Singletary.
"Frankly, the public should have been informed of Mr. Prude's death and the circumstances that led to his death in March," Warren said, adding that she should have initiated this move after she saw the video last month.
Conflicting stories
Some of the documents released Monday are at odds with the city's previous narrative about its response to Prude's death.
Singletary emailed Roj April 10 with a summary of the case, including the finding that day that the death had been ruled a homicide.
"The Mayor has been in the loop on such since 3/23," Singletary wrote. "Law is in the loop. I am just waiting for the Mayor to call me back to give her the update on the M.E.’s ruling."
Roj said in a statement Monday that he was not aware of what happened to Prude until Aug. 4, the same day the mayor said she first saw the body-worn camera video and got a clearer understanding of Prude's death.
"It was communicated by Chief Singletary in his email that the Mayor and Law Department were already informed," Roj wrote. "Therefore, I did not make either aware of what occurred since the Chief stated he fulfilled his responsibility to do so."
An email exchange between Curtin and his deputy, Stephanie Prince, undercuts their insistence last week that the Attorney General's office had asked them to keep the case quiet.
Curtin emailed Prince June 4: "Can we delay/deny?" he asked, referring to the Freedom of Information request from the Prude family.
Prince responded by saying she called Jenn Sommers at the Attorney General's Office and "asked her to hold off on contacting (the Prude family lawyer) until I got back to her."
In a press conference last week, Curtin and Prince told that story differently, saying Sommers had asked them to hold off on releasing any information to the public. The Attorney General's Office denied that claim in unusually pointed language.
Contact reporter Brian Sharp at bdsharp@gannett.com or at 585-258-2275. Follow him on Twitter @sharproc. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.
► See a longer video of Daniel Prude's encounter with police: (Graphic imagery, foul language)