Rochester Mayor Names First Woman To Lead Police Department After Daniel Prude's Death
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren tapped a Black woman to become the city's interim police chief, saying Saturday she will bring a "fresh approach to policing" amid the tumultuous aftermath to Daniel Prude's death.
Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan, who retired from the department in 2009 as a lieutenant, will become the first woman to head the police department on Oct. 14.
Warren fired former Police Chief La'Ron Singletary this month after police body camera video was released of Prude, a Black man who died several days after officers put a hood over his head and pressed his face into the pavement on March 23.
The video's release sparked days of protests in the city and insistent calls for reform.
"I am confident that she will bring a different perspective and instill a fresh approach to policing, both of which are very much needed in our city, particularly at this difficult time," Warren said at a news conference.
Herriott-Sullivan is currently the interim deputy executive director at the Rochester Housing Authority.
"I know these are tough times right now, but I believe strongly that we all bring our best to the table and we'll be able to get it done," Herriott-Sullivan said.
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(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
