City council hears comments from community for more than 3 hours following Daniel Prude incident

[anvplayer video=”4963009″ station=”998131″]

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — For more than three hours Rochester City Council members hosted an online listening session where they heard hundreds of comments from local residents, many of them voicing their complaints against the Rochester Police Department, city leadership and the city council itself.

Although they mainly focused on ways to re-imagine the police department, but also demanded accountability and full transparency of our city leaders following the circumstances surrounding the death of Daniel Prude.

"Apologize to the people of Rochester for your role, and tell us in concrete terms what you will do to begin taking money away from the system of terrorism known as the police. You have evaded that question so far you don’t consider yourselves accountable to us. That time is over," Cory Robinson said.

The Council heard from people who say they were brutalized by police during the Sept. 4 weekend of protests.

"I was standing peacefully with a sign nowhere near the police officers, and I was shot multiple time with pepper balls by the Rochester Police department," Michael Edleman said.

"Gassing is immoral. Gassing children is unconscionable. RPD’s tear-gassing of our protestors in unjustifiable, and it’s an example of police brutality itself," said a woman only identified as "Elizabeth."

Mayor Lovely Warren, Locust Club President Mike Mazzeo, Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley, and many others have been called on to resign immediately. City Council Board members as well.

One person, who did not identify herself, did defend the police saying in her words, the Mayor’s 11 p.m. curfew was in place on the night of the protest.

"They had every right to stand up for the law," the unidentified woman said. "That’s what they were doing. You all were breaking the law. I want to know who are you holding accountable for defacing the City Hall? Who is paying for all this? Our Rochester Police Department we love you. Stay strong."

Click here for full coverage of the death of Daniel Prude.