Amid protests. Rochester Police Chief La’Ron Singletary and the department’s command staff have resigned.
“As a man of integrity, I will not sit idly by while outside entities attempt to destroy my character,” Singletary said.
“The members of the Rochester Police Department and the Greater Rochester Community know my reputation and know what I stand for,” he cotninued.
His resignation will go into effect September 29, 2020. It comes just a week after video surfaced of an encounter between local officers and Daniel Prude. Prude was seemingly mentally ill when he was killed in police custody earlier this year. After the video emerged, concerned citizens took to the streets to protest Prude’s death.
Daniel Prude’s children’s attorney, Antonio Romanucci, has called the resignation “an important and necessary step to healing and meaningful reform in the community.”
Demanding the resignation of both Mayor Lovely Warren and Police Chief La’Ron Singletary. pic.twitter.com/MwzLOy5sX7
— Patrick Moussignac (@WHEC_Moussignac) September 8, 2020
“We look forward to securing justice for Mr. Prude and to having Rochester leaders do the hard work needed to address issues of systemic racism and training protocols in the police department,” Romanucci said.
At this time, Rochester City Council President Loretta Scott has indicated that the city does not have a blueprint for how to move forward. Scott said that she was unaware that Singletary planned to resign.
“It was unexpected. I didn’t know that it was going to happen,” Scott said.
“I don’t know blindside is the right word. But yeah, right. This was a briefing to talk about how the police handled the protests.”
