ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A city of Rochester investigation into Daniel Prude's death was released on Tuesday.
The report from the Office of Public Integrity clears Mayor Lovely Warren, James Smith, as well as communications director Justin Roj, corporation counsel Tim Curtin, and three other staffers.
OPI Director Tim Weir reports the office found no evidence that any employee within its jurisdiction violated city or departmental policies or ethical standards with respect to their actions in response to the death of Daniel Prude.
The OPI report did, however, say it found several opportunities for operational improvements, like centralizing staff to manage foil requests.
The Prude family waited more than four months for the city to deliver body camera video. The city's handling of it internally helped widen the knowledge gap about the nature of Prude's death.
Police officers found Prude naked and conscious in the middle of a Rochester street in March.
He lost consciousness after officers subdued him and died seven days later.
The medical examiner says he died of asphyxia and ruled his death a homicide.
The revelation of Prude's death five months after it happened triggered widespread public demonstrations across Rochester for weeks.
Spectrum News also learned from the Prude report that former Rochester Police Chief La'Ron Singletary filed a notice of claim on December 3 to sue the city. Singletary shared his sworn statement from that filing with the investigation. He did not submit to an interview with OPI.
The mayor fired Singletary weeks after Prude's death came to light.
She claimed he did not adequately inform her of the nature of Prude's death.
In his statement, Singletary claims he reached out to the mayor by text to inform her April 10, a message to which he received no response.
The mayor, in her interview with the office of public integrity, said she did not recall receiving the text message. After a review of her records, Warren had received the text. She said she may not have seen it because the chief sent her press release reports earlier in the day by text.
Singletary also said he had an elevator conversation with the mayor on April 13 about Prude's death being ruled a homicide.
The mayor told investigators she did not recall the conversation.
Warren and Singletary offered a united front following the release of the Prude body camera video.
Singletary, from the start, said officers followed their training and were not to blame for Prude's death.
Warren later rejected that, saying Singletary had not made her aware of the nature of Prude's treatment.
The mayor suspended officers and police command for their roles in the Prude response.
Singletary announced his retirement.
Warren relieved him of duty before his last day.
Neither Singletary, the mayor, or the lead investigator for this report made themselves available for comment about the report.
The OPI report is one of two investigating the city's handling of the Prude case. City Council must offer its findings.
Read the full report below: