Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren briefed city council on the response to the death of Daniel Prude, the first since Police Chief La'Ron Singletary and members of his command staff stepped down Tuesday.

Spectrum News learned the basics of the Rochester police response. It came in a written submission from the police chief, who was supposed to attend the meeting, but chose not to. 


What You Need To Know

  • Mayor Lovely Warren apologized to Rochester City Council for not telling them about the Prude case, and the police camera video, before it went public

  • After that, she could provide few answers to the questions city councilors had about the city's response to the protests

  • Retiring RPD Chief La'Ron Singletary was supposed to attend the meeting, but did not, and the basics of the Rochester police response frustrated city councilors

What Spectrum News did hear for the first time was Rochester's mayor apologize for the first time to the council for not telling them about the Prude case, and the police camera video, before it went public.

"You were not made aware of this matter at any point of time before the video came out, the eight members of council, so I definitely want to apologize to you all," said Warren. 

And after that, Rochester's mayor could provide few answers to the questions city councilors had about the city's response to the protests, the motivation for scheduled daily YouTube briefings.

A day after he announced his retirement in response to the city's Prude response, Singletary offered general answers to several council questions submitted to lead off the reviews. The council's chief of staff recited them. 

There were answers to protocol for responding to mental health calls and how the RPD exercised restraint and de-escalated conflict with protesters, like standing behind barricades, away from chanting crowds, and deploying smaller details to protect the public safety building. 

The responses, and Singletary's absence, frustrated city councilors.

"The failure of whomever is running the RPD to attend this briefing totally unacceptable," said councilmember Michael Patterson.

Council President Loretta Scott asked if the mayor could leapfrog the RPD's chain of command to compel officers on matters such as their covering their name badges while on duty during protests. 

The mayor said she will request an RPD command staff member join the regular briefings. Warren emphasized the importance of finding an interim leader, before a national search.

All this as the state attorney general's office has yet to provide an update this week on its investigation into Prude's death.