ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester police are conducting an internal review and going over body camera footage after police say an officer used what the department calls an "irritant" on a minor taken into custody under the mental hygiene law.

Police say it stems from a call to a home on Avenue B Friday around 3:30 p.m. for alleged family trouble. Police say there were reports of a possible stolen vehicle.

While police were there, they say the custodial parent of the minor allegedly told them the child was going to hurt herself and others before she ran away from the home.

Officers found the minor without incident, but they claim when she saw her parent, she allegedly became agitated and kicked at officers.

Police say she was handcuffed and put in a patrol car for her safety and at the request of her custodial parent, according to police.

When she allegedly refused to put her feet into the car, police say that's when the irritant was used.

She was then taken to Rochester General Hospital where she was treated and released to her family.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren says the nature of the initial calls to Avenue B is why the Person in Crisis Team or Forensic Intervention Team were not called to the scene.

The mayor says she has reviewed the body camera footage of Friday's incident and a redacted version of it will be released.

Warren says she discussed the incident with Interim Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan and Spectrum News is told city council was informed as well.

Warren says the city's Person in Crisis Team is talking with the family of the girl to see what support they need.

She added in a statement:

"I am deeply troubled by the macing and handcuffing of a child who is in distress and clearly emotional. That is why we are currently working hard to change how we deal with these types of calls and how our children are dealt with by police officers."

The Police Accountability Board says it is working to learn more information about the incident, and continues to call for police to discontinue using chemical irritants.  

A statement from Executive Director Conor Dwyer Reynolds reads in part:

“While the PAB cannot conduct disciplinary hearings, we still have a legal duty to bring transparency to all of the RPD’s policies and practices, including those at issue here. The PAB will be working to ensure all relevant information, including body worn camera footage, is released to the public without delay. The PAB will continue to advocate for changes that keep our community’s children safe, including our call for the City to ban police use of chemical weapons against Rochesterians of all ages.”

The steps outlined by city hall Saturday follow criticism leveled at the mayor for the city's handling of the Daniel Prude case last year.

Some were even calling for her resignation.

City Council member Malik Evans is now looking to challenge Lovely Warren in a Democratic mayoral primary.

He called the news of the incident on Avenue B, "disturbing," adding in a statement:

"We must also have a full accounting on how the new process for engaging mental health professionals on RPD calls seem to have broke down in this instance."

The activist group Free the People ROC are calling for action to be taken after Friday's incident.

The group released a statement on social media Saturday, calling for the officers involved to be fired and charged.

"The Rochester Police Department shows time and time again that they're ill equipped to respond to mental health crises and repeatedly expose members of our community to harm when they're called for help,” the group stated.

City Council President Loretta Scott and Vice President Willie Lightfoot also released a statement on Saturday, calling for a full investigation:

"This morning, our community was made aware of the incident on Harris Street that occurred last night involving a minor and the Rochester Police Department. We have reviewed footage of the incident, and we are shocked, disappointed, and angered by the handling of this incident.        

This child was under extreme emotional distress and needed care from mental health professionals, or at the very least, assistance from a caring adult. It is difficult to understand why in the presence of multiple officers, there was a need to use handcuffs and mace to subdue this 9-year old.  

It is clear that law enforcement is not properly trained to respond to mental health crises. However, that does not relieve them of their responsibility to serve with empathy and compassion.

We must ensure these mental health calls are routed to appropriate services, like the newly formed Person in Crisis (PIC) team, to allow mental health professionals to do their job.

This incident must be fully investigated, including a full review of all Body Worn Camera footage of the officers on scene, and an explanation for why PIC was not dispatched. We are calling on Chief Herriot-Sullivan to take any measures necessary to ensure this type of interaction does not reoccur in the future, and to hold accountable any officers who violated departmental policies in this regard."