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John, 

It’s become abundantly clear that we need to divest from the Rochester
police department (RPD) and make immediate investments in the community.
Last weekend, the Rochester police department released bodycam footage of
several officers responding to a domestic dispute. The video shows
officers violently escalating the crisis— first shoving a nine-year-old
girl into the snow, then hand-cuffing her, and most egregiously
pepper-spraying her in the face. 

Disturbingly, this is not a new phenomenon for New York, particularly for
the city of Rochester. Last March, Daniel Prude, a Black man experiencing
a mental health crisis, was murdered by Rochester PD. We only know about
Prude's tragic death because his family fought for months to have the
footage released — while Rochester police actively tried to cover it up. 

Similar to Daniel Prude, This nine-year-old girl was experiencing a mental
health crisis. This family’s crisis also called for trauma-informed care,
not state-sanctioned violence. Although she posed no immediate threat, the
officers chose to use a chemical weapon against a little girl who needed
help. There are no words to fully capture our collective rage.

[ [link removed] ]Tell Mayor Lovely Warren & Police Chief Cynthia Harriott-Sullivan to
fire every officer-involved!

John, the six police officers have still not been identified.
Three officers have been suspended, and three others have been placed on
administrative leave. But because of a clause in the police union’s
contract, no real timeline has been given to complete the internal
investigation. And to make matters worse, a nine-year-old is being forced
to relive her trauma every time this video is shared on the news or social
media, and these officers are on paid vacation. This is a shameful
disgrace. 

As Mayor of Rochester, Lovely Warren appointed the interim Police Chief
Cynthia Harriott-Sullivan, together they're responsible for investigating
this brutal attack and terminating those involved. The people of Rochester
deserve to know the names of the officers and this child’s family deserves
justice. We demand the Rochester police department be held accountable
publicly and we’re calling on Mayor Warren and the Rochester police chief
to release the names of the officers, terminate everyone involved, and ban
the use of chemical weapons. 

That’s why we need you to stand with us. John, by taking
action, you will send a clear message to elected officials in Rochester—
if police officers are protected by anonymity, internal investigations,
and paid administrative leave, they will continue to harm Black people
with impunity.  

[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition: Demand Mayor Warren and Police Chief
Harriott-Sullivan release the names of the officers who handcuffed and
pepper-sprayed a nine-year-old girl, terminate every officer involved, and
ban the use of chemical weapons in their community. 

Police officers have a sworn duty “to protect and serve.” And yet, they
continue to cause catastrophic harm in Black communities. That is why
we’re calling on the Mayor and Police Chief to intervene. Time and time
again, we’ve watched police officers prioritize violence over community
safety.

This begs the question: who will police the police? [ [link removed] ]Tell Mayor Warren
it’s her [ [link removed] ]responsibility!

Until Justice is Real, 

Erika, Malachi, Ariel, Megan, Ernie, Madison, Trevor, Ana, Mckyla, Ericka,
and the rest of the COC team. 

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References: 

1. [ [link removed] ]Rochester Mayor Suspends Police Officers Who Pepper-Sprayed
9-Year-Old Girl, Brakkton Booker,  February 1, 2021  

2. [ [link removed] ]What We Know About Daniel Prude’s Case and Death, Micheal Gold,
December 4, 2020 


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[ [link removed] ]ColorOfChange is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change.

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