Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the
case, stated that according to the criminal complaint, there were nights of
violent protests in Rochester following the public disclosure on September 2,
2020, of Daniel Prude’s death on March 30, 2020. Those violent protests
resulted in property damage and physical injury to several law enforcement
officers.
On the evening of September 8, 2020, a group of
approximately 400 protesters gathered in front of Rochester Police Department
(RPD) headquarters, where they blocked all lanes of traffic on Exchange
Boulevard between Court Street and the Interstate 490 overpass. RPD officers
and NYSP Troopers staffed metal barricades, which were positioned in the
driveway area of RPD headquarters. At approximately 10:00 p.m., surveillance
cameras captured the defendant pointing green lasers at three uniformed RPD
officers and four uniformed New York State Police Troopers, who were positioned
in the area to control the crowd and prevent a breach of the barricades. The
victim officers experienced a temporary loss of sight as a result of being hit
with the laser, which impeded and interfered with their ability to carry out
their assigned duties.
Police officers posted in the area of South Fitzhugh Street
and South Plymouth Avenue observed an individual - later identified as Davis -
who matched the description of the individual who had been pointing lasers at
the victim officers. As officers began to approach the defendant and an officer
told him to stop in order to detain him, Davis yelled loudly that he did not
trust the police officer one bit and then ran south on South Fitzhugh Street.
An officer gave chase and tackled the defendant in area of 218 South Fitzhugh
Street. Davis pushed himself up, stood up, and attempted to pull away, but was
taken into custody. After the arrest, a black laser was recovered from the
defendant's front sweatshirt pocket.
As a result of the arrest, the arresting officer sustained a
fractured orbital bone and a laceration under his left eye, and continues to
suffer from blurry vision in his left eye. The arresting officer was taken to
the hospital where he received medical treatment, including seven stitches.
“Simply put, those individuals who seek to injure law
enforcement officers with dangerous devices such as lasers, explosives,
projectiles, or anything else will face federal prosecution,” stated U.S.
Attorney Kennedy. “While free speech is protected, a violent free-for-all aimed
at law enforcement—or anyone else—is not.”
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge
Stephen Belongia; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief
La’Ron Singletary; the New York State Police, under the direction of Acting
Major Barry Chase; Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of
Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy; the Brighton Police Department, under
the direction of Chief David Catholdi; the New York State Department of
Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of under the
direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci; the Dansville Police
Department, under the direction of Sergeant Shannon Griese; and the United
States Marshal’s Service, under the direction of United States Marshal Charles
Salina.
