Daniel Prude remembered as calls grow for mental health response reform

New Yorkers across the state commemorated Daniel Prude on what would have been his 47th birthday this past Saturday, Sept. 21, as they called for passing his namesake bill in Albany. The Chicago man who was visiting his brother in Rochester died at the hands of police there during a mental health response in March 2020. The incident sparked local, then-freshman, State Sen. Samra Brouk to introduce Daniel’s Law a year later, with permission from Prude’s family.

If passed, the legislation ostensibly limits law enforcement’s participation in mental health responses across the state. Medical research points to police escalating psychiatric crises, leading to preventable use-of-force and death. The issue often stems from a lack of training, but there is no evidence training officers to respond