Council members mark fifth anniversary of Daniel Prude’s death and cite obstacles facing Police Accountability Board

Council member Mary Lupien used her remarks at the March 2025 full council meeting to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Daniel Prude and to press for greater support for the Police Accountability Board.

Lupien said Prude’s death (March 23, five years earlier) remains unresolved in the community and stated that officers involved are still working in the field. She said the Police Accountability Board is ‘‘still struggling to get access to information to be able to adjudicate cases’’ and told the public that the city had sued the Police Accountability Board to prevent the release of the board’s findings — a claim Lupien raised from the floor and attributed to ongoing legal conflict between city administration and the board.

Why it matters: Police accountability, access to investigative files and transparency of findings are central to public trust and to the board’s ability to adjudicate complaints; Lupien urged community members to back the Police Accountability Board as it seeks information and to press for full disclosure of findings.

What the transcript records

- Council member Mary Lupien raised the anniversary and urged public support for the Police Accountability Board. - Lupien said the city has sued the Police Accountability Board to stop it from releasing its findings; the transcript records the statement as her claim on the floor.

What the council did not do

- The council did not take a formal vote, adopt a new policy or issue a resolution on this matter during the meeting. The remarks were delivered during council comments and public business, not as an agenda item.

Sources and attribution

Statements in this article are attributed to Council member Mary Lupien and drawn from the council meeting transcript.