Alliance Alert: This weekend marked five years since the death of Daniel Prude, a Black man in mental health crisis who died after being restrained by Rochester police. In honor of his memory, advocates across New York State gathered for vigils, rallies, and community events as part of a Week of Action demanding real change and a new crisis response rooted in compassionate services, not criminalization.
Daniel’s death was a tragedy—and it was preventable. He needed help, not handcuffs. That’s why the Daniel’s Law Coalition is continuing to call for the passage and full implementation of Daniel’s Law, and we are urging the state to fund the first phase of mental health first responder teams in the final FY2025-26 budget.
We are encouraged that both houses of the Legislature have included funding for Daniel’s Law teams, and the Senate has passed the full legislation. Now, the Governor must join in this commitment and ensure New York State makes good on its promise to build a true public health alternative to police-led crisis response.
Daniel’s Law would:
- Establish trained peers, mental health experts, and EMS teams as the default responders to behavioral health emergencies
- Create statewide standards and oversight so every community can access the same level of support and accountability
- Include peers with lived experience in response teams to build trust and ensure culturally competent services
We cannot continue to rely on law enforcement for mental health emergencies. We must fund the alternative.
Daniel’s Law is not just a policy—it’s a promise to do better. To honor Daniel Prude, and the many others who have lost their lives in similar crises, we must pass and fund this law now.
Join the Daniel’s Law Coalition as we continue our week of advocacy by registering for upcoming events, including tomorrow’s virtual legislative advocacy day. Use the following link to register.
RSVP here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScAyLhtbOTrI0NHinS4wlyrNdVZ7SMqfLfS_k-dHtSY9yGnVw/viewform
See below for recent coverage of Sunday’s vigils.
Five Years Since Daniel Prude, Push Continues for Improved Police Response to Behavioral Health Calls
By Spectrum News Staff | Spectrum News 1 | March 23, 2025
Five years ago on Sunday, Daniel Prude was arrested by police in Rochester during a mental health incident.
He lost consciousness during that arrest and later died in the hospital in what was ruled a homicide by a county medical examiner. Police were not charged in his death, but the city did reach a civil rights settlement with Prude’s family afterward.
In addition to sparking protests throughout the city of Rochester when police footage of his restraints was released, the police’s handling of Prude and his death led to a push for reform across the state in how law enforcement handles mental health incidents.
A rally was held in Albany on Sunday, joining in with others across the state. Advocates say they want the state to keep pushing for change and pass Daniel’s Law, which would better treat people during these crises and potentially save lives.
“That really pushed our state and advocates around the state to call for this new and better response to mental health crisis,” said Luke Sikinyi, vice president of public policy at the Alliance for Rights and Recovery. “Because we believe if he received the type of response that we’re calling for, he would have been able to get the support he needed deescalate the crisis and eventually live the life that he deserved.”
New York state did create the Daniel’s Law Task Force, which released recommendations in December to improve the response to behavioral health calls, but no law has been passed yet.
Push for Daniel’s Law continues 5 years since Daniel Prude
Vigil Honors Daniel Prude as Advocates Push for Mental Health Response Reform in Rochester
By Daniel Finkelstein | WHAM ABC 13 | March 23, 2025
Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — A small crowd gathered Sunday to remember Daniel Prude five years after his deadly encounter with Rochester police, discussing reforms to mental health response.
BACKGROUND: Daniel’s Law could change response to mental health crises | Rochester police body camera video shows ‘three deadly minutes’ for Daniel Prude | NY AG: No officers indicted on criminal charges in Daniel Prude’s death | TIMELINE: Daniel Prude’s death and response from city leaders
Roughly 40 people could be seen at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Dr. Samuel McCree Way, just feet from where police restrained Prude.
Advocates held a brief vigil and discussed the namesake bill making its way through the state Legislature.
“Each year that we come together to remember him, we not only keep his name alive, but we keep in our minds that the fight continues,” said Rochester City Councilmember Stanley Martin.
Prude was restrained by officers during a mental health call in the early hours of March 23, 2020. He died one week later. Footage of the encounter sparked local and national outrage and led to the reintroduction of Daniel’s Law the following year.
Chacku Mathai, who works to advance “Daniel’s Law,” said, “The legislatures have put forward $22 million recommendation for the implementation of Daniel’s law provisions…as well as a couple million dollars for the Technical Assistance Center that would also provide that was one of those recommendations of the task force.”
If passed, Daniel’s Law would mandate alternative responses to mental health crises instead of police intervention.
“I believe that there needs to be safety for those people who are willing to be the first responders,” said Jane Ballard, a psychotherapist and nurse from Rochester. “But I think the police are out of their depth.”
The officers involved in the encounter were not charged criminally. A spokesperson for the Rochester police declined to comment on the bill.
Vigil honors Daniel Prude as advocates push for mental health response reform in Rochester
Dozens Gather to Remember Daniel Prude on 5-year Anniversary of Arrest that Led to his Death
By Tom Kowalski | News10 NBC | March 23, 2025
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Advocates gathered Sunday afternoon to mark the five-year anniversary of Daniel Prude’s arrest, which later led to his death, and to push for legislative change.
Prude, a Black man experiencing a mental health crisis while under the influence of PCP, died in 2020 after being taken into custody by the Rochester Police Department.
His death was ruled a homicide, but no officers were charged.
Protesters and advocates assembled near the site of Prude’s arrest to honor his life and call for the passage of Daniel’s Law.
“Daniel’s Law is pretty simple. It’ll remove police from being the default responders when people call 911 for help,” said Stanley Martin of Free the People Rochester. “It’ll allow for a public health response where peers who are people with lived experience and mental health workers, like social workers or mental health counselors, will be first responders.”
Chacku Mathai of the Daniel’s Law Coalition shared personal experiences to emphasize the need for change.
“As a person myself with a psychiatric history and substance use history since I was a teenager and a suicide attempt as a teenager, my family never called 911 because we knew about these challenges,” Mathai said.
Majid Dunson of Vocal NY highlighted the importance of education in addressing mental health issues. “We’re sitting back and we’re trying to educate people more about what mental health is. It’s not, a crime, it doesn’t make you more violent or anything else like that,” Dunson said.
Shay Herbet of the New York Civil Liberties Union called for action. “We hear a lot of verbal commitments, and we need those commitments to now be tangible,” Herbet said.
Vigils for Prude were also held in New York City and Albany, with participants urging the passage of Daniel’s Law.
What’s the Progress on the Law in Memory of Daniel Prude in the State Legislature?
By Hailie Higgins | News10 NBC | March 24, 2025
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Sunday marked five years since the arrest of Daniel Prude in Rochester, which led to his death and a push for reform when it comes to how police respond to people in mental health crises.
Community members gathered on Sunday afternoon to push for the passage of Daniel’s Law in the New York State Legislature, which would stop police from being the only first responders when people call 911 for help during a mental health crisis. Advocates say mental health professionals such as social workers or counselors should be the first to respond, not police.
Daniel’s Law has come up in the state legislature every year since his death. It has been passed by the Mental Health Committee in the State Senate. Now, it’s in the Finance Committee, which is where it got stuck during the last legislative session.
The law would provide a statewide infrastructure to help carve out that public health response. Especially here in Rochester, where Daniel died we’re already seeing that.
Rochester gives an idea of what the response would be for every 911 mental health call under the law. Since 2021, the city has had the Person in Crisis team. Those are trained mental health professionals, like social workers and counselors, who come out to 911 calls. Depending on the situation, police may come as well.
The Daniel’s Law Task Force was established a few years ago. It gathers data and makes recommendations on what is needed to best make this transition. For example, it lays out a statewide, uniform protocol for when someone in crisis calls 911. But what’s missing, and what this law provides, is some of the funding. It also is a legal mandate for every municipality to do what the task force says and move away from that police response.
So, if we’re already seeing this, why do advocates still want the law passed? It’s because the city could cancel the PIC team any time and no one else is required to make anything like it. The law requires the transition, brings in the state to help facilitate, and creates a statewide standard.
What’s the progress on the law in memory of Daniel Prude in the state legislature? – WHEC.com