ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Protests in Rochester seeking justice for Daniel Prude continued on Monday afternoon.
The latest protest by Free the People ROC is again focusing on Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley.
They gathered at Rochester City Hall and then marched to the District Attorney's office a block away. Demonstrators claim Doorley has been negligent in not arresting and charging the Rochester Police Department officers who took Prude into custody the night that he went into cardiac arrest.
But per a governor's executive order, the death of an unarmed person in police custody is referred to the state attorney general.
"So, once someone is criminalized, it's hard for them to have other options, hard for them to thrive after such heavy criminalization happens. More so recently, Doorley has targeted protesters, people who are bold enough to fight for justice and is charging them with felonies, bringing in the feds, really criminalizing them although they've never had previous criminal charges," Stanley Martin of Free the People ROC said.
Attorney General Letitia James has empaneled a grand jury to look into the matter.
This is at least the second time that demonstrators have marched, demanding Doorley resign.
In a new statement, Doorley reiterated that she has no plans to resign.
"As I have stated before, I have no intention of resigning. I will continue to serve as the Monroe County District Attorney, just as I have since 2012. The people of Monroe County resoundingly re-elected me last year and I want to make it abundantly clear that I, along with the employees of the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, will continue to ensure that there will be justice, public safety, law and order in this community," the statement read.