Chicago woman blames police brutality after father's death in New York

CHICAGO - The daughter of a Chicago man blames police brutality for her dad's death, and her lawyers claim a "cover-up" is behind the late release of jarring bodycam video.

The officers involved in Daniel Prude's death in New York have been suspended, but his family wants more action.

“I'm still waiting on him to call me and say I'm coming home,” said 18-year-old Tashyra Prude.

Prude cannot face that her father is gone, more than five months after his death. It's taken that long for bodycam video to be released showing police in Rochester, New York put a so-called “spit bag” over Daniel’s head as he had a mental health crisis while visiting his brother.

Police handcuffed Daniel and then held his naked body to the ground where the family's lawyers say similar to George Floyd, he could not breath.

“They lay him flat on his stomach with no problems. My father didn't resist. He did not fight,” Prude said.

When Daniel was finally taken to the hospital, family lawyers say he was brain dead. He died a week later when taken off life support at the age of 41.

“I feel like this case was simply just a case of police brutality and racism and racist police officers saw a black man in need, and decided that he just didn't deserve to live,” Prude said.

This case has people protesting in Rochester where the mayor has now suspended seven officers involved.

In Chicago, a family attorney calls the officers' response downright inhumane.

“They put a bag over his head, pressed his face in the ground and laughed at him. So we think that there were failures in nearly every step of the way in this process,” said attorney Nicolette Ward of Romanucci & Blandin, LLC.

Prude says viral video does not show the man she knew –- a father of five who was full of life and just needed help that snowy night.

“This has happened too many times. This should not keep occurring. Nobody deserves to die when they are in need,” she said.

Prude wants people to keep protesting, saying if we are silent, nothing is going to change.