Direct descendants of Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells say the way Daniel Prude died in the police body camera footage looked to them like a lynching.

Michelle Duster, a descendant of Wells, said in a statement, "What happened to Mr. Prude is reminiscent of what occurred during my great-grandmother’s time. It looked like a lynching, which makes me think that the legacy of lynching is alive in America.”

Ida B. Wells was an African-American journalist and civil rights activist that advocated for an end to lynching in the 1890s.

And Frederick Douglass descendant Kenneth B. Morris Jr. is says that "Those responsible for Mr. Prude’s death must be charged. They will undoubtedly enjoy a fair and dignified judicial process... that’s in stark contrast to the brand of injustice Mr. Prude received.”

Morris and Duster are also calling for more resources for mental health programs, saying the city should reallocate portions of the police budget for the hiring of mental health professionals.