Ben185/iStockBy WILLIAM MANSELL, ABC News
(ROCHESTER, N.Y.) — Protesters entered the Rochester, New York, public safety building Tuesday and allegedly assaulted two police officers, the department said.
The incident began after a protester was incorrectly detained after a warrant for his arrest had the wrong date for failing to appear.
Nicholas Wilt, 50, was arrested by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Tuesday due to an outstanding warrant he had in Rochester for failing to appear. However, Rochester Police said the warrant was “issued erroneously” because his appearance was actually for Oct. 22, not Sept. 22.
“RPD will be working with Rochester City Court to determine how this error occurred, and to determine ways we can prevent future occurrences,” the department said in a statement Tuesday.
Following Wilt’s arrest, protesters entered the Rochester Police Headquarters, where one allegedly assaulted a police sergeant and another officer with a weapon, according to authorities.
Jordan Hughes, 26, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault in the 2nd degree. The officers, the department said, were transported to a local hospital along with a third officer who was injured during the incident.
Wilt was originally arrested on Sept. 12 and charged with unlawful assembly and resisting arrest.
The relationship between police and protesters in Rochester was already strained following the release of police body camera footage that showed the death of Daniel Prude in police custody.
Prude, 41, died in March, one week after being restrained by Rochester police during a mental health emergency. Officers put a spit bag on his head and pinned him to the ground.
The Monroe County medical examiner listed his death as a homicide caused by “complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint.”
His death sparked widespread protests in September, after the body camera footage was released, which led to violent and destructive confrontations between police and protesters.
The fallout from Prude’s death has been significant. The city has fired its police chief, La’Ron Singletary, and six other department leaders announced they will vacate their roles.
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.