Prison guards brutally punched and kicked an inmate to his death while he was restrained and vulnerable, as revealed by disturbing bodycam footage.
Robert Brooks, 43, was pronounced dead on December 10, the morning after the brutal assault at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County.
The heart-wrenching ordeal of the inmate’s last moments was captured on body cameras worn by the officers, showing the merciless assault and the inaction of numerous prison staff members.
Governor Kathy Hochul of New York announced that thirteen correction officers and a nurse involved in the incident will be fired, expressing her shock and dismay at the footage depicting the “unjustifiable homicide.”
The footage was made public Friday by the New York Attorney General Letitia James and shows three correction officers carrying Brooks aloft into a medical examination room.
Once inside, they repeatedly punching Brooks in the face and groin as he sits handcuffed on a medical examination table.
At one point one of the officers shoves his boot into Brooks’ stomach, forcing him backwards, while another yanks him up by his neck and drops him back on the table.
As he becomes limp and unresponsive, another officer enters and shackles his ankles with a chain.
They then haul him into a corner and are seen struggling to keep him upright as his body lolls backwards.
He is placed back on the medical table, but remains unresponsive even as the guards try to rouse him.
The officers then remove the his shirt and pants as he lies motionless and bloodied on his back.
Equally disturbing is the number of officers who witness the attack and no nothing to intervene.
Brooks was declared dead at a hospital the following morning. Preliminary findings from a medical examination indicate ‘concern for asphyxia due to compression of the neck as the cause of death, as well as the death being due to actions of another,’ according to court filings. The final results of the autopsy are still pending.
The videos do not include audio because the body cameras had not been activated by the officers wearing them.
James said her office was investigating the use of force that led to the death, but did not say whether any of the officers involved in the beating would face criminal charges.
‘These videos are shocking and disturbing and I advise all to take appropriate care before choosing to watch them,’ she added.
Brooks had been serving a 12 year prison sentence for first-degree assault since 2017, according to the department.
He had arrived at the Marcy Correctional Facility only hours before the beating, after being transferred from another nearby state prison, officials said.
The Correctional Association of New York, a prison oversight group, said they had documented reports of pervasive brutality and racism inside the Marcy Correctional Facility during a monitoring visit two years ago.
In a statement, the president of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, Craig DuMond, said he was ‘shocked, like all right thinking people, by the actions’ of the officers.
‘No human being should be treated that way by another human being,’ he added.
‘And it is made even worse by the fact that the extreme cruelty was inflicted by those entrusted with the power of government, against those they were entrusted to guard and protect.’
‘I do not take lightly the release of this video, especially in the middle of the holiday season,’ James told the New York Times.
‘But as the attorney general I release these videos because I have a responsibility and duty to provide the Brooks family, their loved ones and all New Yorkers with transparency and accountability.’
Governor Hochul has ordered a ‘full and immediate investigation’ into Brooks’ death.
‘Like all New Yorkers, I was outraged and horrified after seeing footage of the senseless killing of Robert Brooks,’ she said.
‘I have been clear that it is the responsibility of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to provide appropriate care and protection for those in its custody, and I will not tolerate anyone who violates that responsibility.
‘The State of New York has zero tolerance for individuals who break the law, and I am committed to holding everyone involved fully accountable.
‘Once again, I want to offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Brooks’ family and loved ones as they grieve his tragic death.’
