Rochester on Thursday reached a $12 million settlement with the estate of Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old Black man who died in police custody in March 2020.

It is believed to be the western New York city's largest-ever civil rights settlement, according to the plaintiff's trio of attorneys.

Prude was having a mental health crisis and began spitting at responding officers, who put a spit hood over Prude's head and pressed his naked body against the street.

Prude's death sparked weeks of protests of police treatment of Black people.

His son, Nathaniel McFarland of Chicago, sued Rochester in federal court for alleged gross negligence and wrongful death.

"We think that it was a fair settlement," said Stephen G. Schwarz of Faraci Lange of Rochester, one of the family's attorneys.

"We're happy in a sense that the city has taken this case as seriously as it has, and we hope that it's going to promote real change with regard to how situations like this are handled in the future," Schwarz said.

"The amount of money that's involved is not going to be enough to bring his five children's father back to them," he said. "But I think that they feel that it was a tragedy that should have been avoided and hopefully will be avoided in the future, if the situation presents itself again."

The city was represented by Corporation Counsel Linda Kingsley and deputy counsel Patrick Beath.

In a statement, Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans said settling the case was in the city's best interest, given the expense of defending it.