A Black inmate was brutally beaten to death by correction officers at Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, according to shocking bodycam footage released on Friday.
43-year-old Robert Brooks had been serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault since 2017 and was pronounced dead on December 10, the morning just after the violent assault.
He had arrived at the facility just hours earlier after being transferred from another nearby prison.
In the video, three correction officers carried Brooks into a medical examination room and went on to repeatedly punch him in the face and groin while he was handcuffed.
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At one point, one officer kicked Brooks in the stomach, and the hit caused him to fall backwards.
Another officer then lifted him by the neck and violently dropped him back onto the table.
The attack led Brooks to be unresponsive, and another officer shackled his ankles with a chain.
Guards struggled to keep him upright before placing him back on the medical table, where he remained motionless and drenched in blood.
The video also shows officers removing his shirt and pants as he lay on unresponsive in the room.
Many other officers witnessed the attack but did not care to intervene.
Preliminary findings from a medical examination indicate “concern for asphyxia due to compression of the neck” as the cause of death, with the death attributed to “actions of another,” as per court filings.
The final autopsy results are however pending, and the family of the black inmate are waiting to conclude how it all really unfolded.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that Thirteen correction officers and a nurse involved in the attack are now facing termination.
Hochul also described the footage as “outrageous and horrifying” and ordered a “full and immediate investigation” into the incident.
“Like all New Yorkers, I was outraged and horrified after seeing footage of the senseless killing of Robert Brooks,” Hochul said in a statement. “The State of New York has zero tolerance for individuals who break the law, and I am committed to holding everyone involved fully accountable. My deepest condolences go out to Mr. Brooks’ family and loved ones as they grieve his tragic death.”
Attorney General James called the videos “shocking and disturbing,” and warned viewers to be cautious in their attempt to watch the footage.
James confirmed that her office is investigating the use of force, but did not specify whether the involved officers would face criminal charges.
The bodycam footage is without audio, as the officers did not activate the microphones.
The Correctional Association of New York, which is a prison oversight group, said it had previously documented reports of pervasive brutality and racism at Marcy Correctional Facility during a monitoring visit two years ago.
Craig DuMond, president of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association was also far from pleased and condemned the officers’ actions. “No human being should be treated that way by another human being,” DuMond said in a statement. “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.”
The death of the black inmate has now drawn widespread outrage, and many are calling for accountability and systemic reform within the correctional facilities of New York.
