ROCHESTER, N.Y. —  New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that a grand jury has declined to indict any police officers related to the death of Daniel Prude.

James made the announcement in Rochester Tuesday.

Prude's death in police custody last March was not revealed until September, unleashing a wave of criticism and protest against the Rochester Police Department and Mayor Lovely Warren.

Fallout from how the city handled the case resulted in top brass at the department retiring or leaving. Seven police officers were suspended several months after Prude died.

James said the response by officers lacked empathy at the scene that night.

“Daniel Prude was in the throes of a mental health crisis and what he needed was compassion, care, and help from trained professionals. Tragically, he received none of those things,” said James. “We concluded that there was sufficient evidence surrounding Mr. Prude’s death to warrant presenting the case to a grand jury, and we presented the most comprehensive case possible. While I know that the Prude family, the Rochester community, and communities across the country will rightfully be devastated and disappointed, we have to respect this decision. The current laws on deadly force have created a system that utterly and abjectly failed Mr. Prude and so many others before him. Serious reform is needed, not only at the Rochester Police Department, but to our criminal justice system as a whole. I will be pursuing a multifaceted approach to address the very issues that have prevented us from holding officers accountable when they improperly use deadly force. I am committed to effecting the change that is so desperately needed, and I will be unshakeable in my efforts to see it through.”

Prude was found naked on Jefferson Avenue in March. Police say he was high on PCP at the time. An autopsy later found he did have drugs in his system, but the manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Police body camera footage shows officers putting a spit hood over his head and then holding him to the ground. Prude eventually lost consciousness and died at the hospital a week later.

The Attorney General listed changes she wanted in the wake of Prude's death, including loosening the secrecy rules when it comes to grand juries, law enforcement training in recognizing unconscious bias, and examining the use of spit hoods.

James said she will pursue a multifaceted approach to address issues that she says prevented holding officers accountable when they improperly use deadly force.

"The cornerstone of this effort is to amend the use of enforced law to one of subjected, simple necessity to one of absolute last resort, exhausting all over lethal means before resorting to deadly force," James said. "And while there are legitimate reasons why police officers have some special protections, these protections should be specifically delineated and standardized in state law."

James’ efforts may start to open those doors. Within hours of making that statement, the AG reports that a judge granted her motion to unseal and publicly release the grand jury minutes related to the investigation of Prude’s death.

James has been critical of the department, calling for further reform after last month's incident in which a 9-year-old girl in custody was pepper sprayed.

The AG said Tuesday that she would be meeting the girl as well as the family of Daniel Prude.

To see more reaction, click here.

The full report from the New York Attorney General's Office can be read below.

Grand Jury Decision in Case of Daniel Prude by Keegan Trunick on Scribd