The Rochester police chief and the entire department command staff suddenly announced they are retiring from the force on Tuesday. The...
The Rochester police chief and the entire department command staff suddenly announced they are retiring from the force on Tuesday.
The announcement comes after several days of riots and violence in response to bodycam footage showing a March incident involving Rochester police and a 41-year-old black man.
ABC News reported:
After days of protests against the Rochester Police Department in light of the death of Daniel Prude, its top officer and command staff announced Tuesday they are retiring from the force.
Rochester Police Chief La’Ron Singletary said in a statement that he was honored to serve the city in upstate New York for 20 years and commended his staff. However, he said the protests and criticism of his handling of the investigation into the March 23 incident “are an attempt to destroy my character and integrity.”
“As a man of integrity, I will not sit idly by while outside entities attempt to destroy my character,” he said in a statement. “The members of the Rochester Police Department and the Greater Rochester Community know my reputation and know what I stand for.”Mayor Lovely Warren informed the Rochester City Council that in addition to Singletary, the entire command staff announced its retirement today. She noted that none of the police brass were asked to resign.Deputy Chief Joseph Morabito was also among those retiring. He had served on the Rochester Police Department for 34 years.“It has also been my honor to serve this community through these many years; a community I was born and raised in, and deeply love,” he wrote in a statement.
Violent Black Lives Matter militants took to the streets of Rochester, New York Friday night, destroyed restaurants, sent diners running and then roved into residential neighborhoods.
The rioters climbed on people’s homes in the middle of the night.