LODI, Calif. — Protesters plan to gather in Lodi's American Legion Park, Saturday morning, demanding the city defund the Lodi Police Department.
The protest comes the same week Rochester Police released bodycam footage of an incident in March where officers placed a spit hood on Daniel Prude after his family called 911 to report he was having a mental health episode.
One officer said they placed the hood on his head because he was spitting in their direction they were concerned about coronavirus. Prude died in the hospital a week later.
A medical examiner said that Prude's death was a homicide caused by “complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint.”
The activist group "Empact" is one of the organizers of the protest. According to its flyer, that group calls for defunding the Lodi Police Department, dismantling white supremacy, and supporting the Lodi community.
Lodi Police Chief Sierra Brucia said his officers are well equipped to handle the protest if it becomes destructive.
"I am very confident Lodi PD will absolutely have the staffing, resources, and experience through our own provision of mutual aid, to handle this event safely for our town," Brucia said.
Brucia said people have offered to help by becoming "citizen-based security services," but he said that is unnecessary.
"The best thing people can do to help Lodi PD is to protest peaceably and avoid unnecessary confrontations," Brucia said.
Lodi Mayor Doug Kuehne is confident the police's preparation for the upcoming protest will be enough to keep it from becoming violent.
"I know they are putting in the same planning this time and have every confidence in their ability to continue to keep peace in our community," Kuehne said.
Lodi City Manager Steve Schwabauer expects the rally to be peaceful.
"This is a planned peaceful march and to date, all of the protests which these residents have held in Lodi have been peaceful, with no reports of injuries or property damage," Schwabauer said in a news release.
Lodi Police officials said in a news release they learned about rocks located throughout the downtown area taken from landscaping, construction, and decorative pots. It is unclear if the rocks are connected with Saturday's protest.
They said they would continue to check the area and provide updates on their Facebook page.