Rochester Police officers placed on administrative leave after nine-year-old girl pepper sprayed

On Monday morning Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren announced the suspension of the officers involved in the pepper spraying of a 9-year-old child that occurred on January 29, 2021. This came just 1-day after Mayor Warren and Rochester Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan held a news conference discussing the events that occurred during that incident. Mayor Lovely Warren stated that the actions by the officers was uncalled for. During that press conference, Mayor Warren called for the immediate suspension of the officers involved.

Mayor Warren released the follow statement:

"Unfortunately, state law and union contract prevents me from taking more immediate and serious action. I will lead the charge that these laws be changed as part of our response to the Governor's Executive Order 203. And, we will be asking our state legislators to join me, and make numerous changes in Civil Service Law that would allow cities to more quickly issue discipline in cases like this one."

Rochester Police Chief Cynthia Herriot-Sullivan also spoke at the press conference and stated that she wasn’t going to condone the actions of the officers and that these incidents aren’t who they are as a department.

Rochester Police Captain Mark Mura has confirmed that one officer involved in the incident has been suspended and 2 officers have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Rochester Police Locust Club President Mike Mazzeo agreed with Mayor Lovely Warren at a press conference he held on Sunday night. Mike Mazzeo stated that a change is needed in terms of how these kinds of calls are handled. Mazzeo said that the officers handled the situation the best the could with the resources they had available to them.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that her office is looking into the events that occurred.