Cops pepper spray 9-year-old. Police union leadership: "It worked."

It's outrageous for Mazzeo to justify these officers' violent actions towards a 9 year old girl. It's outrageous for Mazzeo to justify these officers' violent actions towards a 9 year old girl.

Dear MoveOn member,

We've come to expect police union leadership to defend cops' violence and abuse, but the recent behavior of Mike Mazzeo, head of Rochester's police union, is absolutely inexcusable. He's claiming that it's appropriate for police officers to manhandle, handcuff, and ultimately pepper-spray a 9-year-old Black child who wasn't even a suspect.¹ This is totally unacceptable.

Sign now: Demand that Mike Mazzeo be removed as the head of Rochester's police union immediately.

It's beyond excessive use of force, and it appears that the child's Fourth Amendment rights were violated.² But Mazzeo thinks the cops' actions were appropriate.

This is clearly unacceptable. No community, especially its Black and brown folks, should be expected to trust or respect a police department with someone like Mazzeo in a position of leadership. Please join us in calling on Rochester's mayor, chief of police, city council members, and Police Accountability Board to force Mazzeo's departure, now.

The RPD and its union have a long history of racism and police brutality against Black people. Mike Mazzeo is the same police union leader who defended the officers who mocked, suffocated, and killed Daniel Prude by pinning him to the ground and putting a hood over his head as he was experiencing a mental health crisis.³

Mazzeo is also suing the state of New York to stop it from releasing the disciplinary records of Rochester police officers.⁴ Mazzeo's defense of these officers—like his defense of the officers who killed Daniel Prude—is a textbook example of the playbook police unions use to shield violent and dangerous cops who are caught abusing their power and breaking the law:

• When police are caught doing something that is clearly wrong, say they were following protocol and blame their training.
• Deceive and lie to obscure and confuse the truth about what happened.
• Attack city officials, activists, and others in a position to hold police accountable.

It's not just outrageous for Mazzeo to justify these officers' violent actions toward a 9-year-old girl—it's a big part of what helps violent and biased police continue to get away with abuse. If Mazzeo can say these things and remain the leader of the police union, it virtually guarantees that Rochester police will continue to be unaccountable and violent. His behavior and way of thinking encourage police brutality, making accountability for police and necessary reform impossible.

Mike Mazzeo has to go.

Add your name to demand that Rochester city leaders do everything in their power to push for his removal.

Thanks!

–James Rucker, Police Unions Exposed

Sources:

1. Tweet by Joshua Potash," February 1, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/149859?t=10&akid=289610%2E10220574%2EuLpRXh

2. "Mother of 9-year-old girl pepper-sprayed by Rochester police intends to sue city," USA Today, February 3, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/149860?t=12&akid=289610%2E10220574%2EuLpRXh

3. "7 Rochester police officers suspended over Daniel Prude's death, mayor says," CNN, September 4, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/149861?t=14&akid=289610%2E10220574%2EuLpRXh

4. "Judge temporarily halts release of Rochester police disciplinary records," Democrat & Chronicle, December 30, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/149862?t=16&akid=289610%2E10220574%2EuLpRXh

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