City of Rochester
News Release
(Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018) -- Mayor Lovely A. Warren and Police Chief Michael Ciminelli announced today that they have asked the Monroe County District Attorney to review the conduct of two police officers who were involved in an incident that prompted allegations of an unlawful arrest with an excessive use of force. Both officers have been brought up on internal charges and suspended without pay pending disciplinary proceedings that could, if sustained, result in the termination of their employment with the Rochester Police Department (RPD).
“As we work so very hard each and every day to build stronger, more positive and lasting community relations between our police officers and the citizens they serve, we must also ensure that when, and if, wrongdoing occurs we hold those involved responsible,” said Mayor Warren. “I will not – and the community will not – tolerate a culture in our Police Department that looks the other way when officers engage in bad behavior, particularly when it comes to the use of force. Understanding that we need to honor and celebrate all the good things our Police Department and officers do comes with an equal understanding that we cannot tolerate bad actions or the abuse of power. We owe it to our citizens and we owe it to the overwhelming majority of hard working officers to appropriately discipline those who choose to act unlawfully in the course of their duties.”
“After a thorough review of the facts and video footage related to this matter, we are moving forward with disciplinary action and unpaid suspension for these officers. If the actions are sustained, termination would be warranted,” said Police Chief Ciminelli. “I have also forwarded this matter to the DA because I believe the alleged actions involved may very well rise to the level of criminal prosecution. We must be accountable to the community we serve and to the many police officers who perform their duties with honor and integrity. The actions of a few bad acting officers will not be tolerated. Especially in this day and age when there is such a mistrust of law enforcement, we must send a clear message to our citizens and community partners that we respect them and we will not tolerate this type of behavior within our ranks.”
The incident in question occurred on May 5 on Fulton Avenue and involved an arrest that included a use of force.
After an internal investigation, the RPD’s Professional Standards Section has concluded that there is sufficient evidence to charge the officers with violations of Departmental rules and regulations, policies and procedures and refer the matter to the District Attorney for possible criminal misconduct.
In the interest of transparency, the RPD will release the body-camera footage and all public documents related to the incident once it is legally appropriate to do so.
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News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo at 428-7135; or RPD Deputy Chief La’Ron Singletary at 428-7033.