The New York attorney general’s office released video footage of the beating death of 43-year-old prisoner Robert Brooks. The video shows as many as eight employees of the state Department of Corrections and Community Services punching, kicking and grabbing at Brooks, who had just arrived at the Marcy Correctional Facility.
Brooks was in the middle of serving a 12-year sentence for stabbing an ex-girlfriend in 2016.
The video has no audio on it. New York Attorney General Letitia James said that was because the cameras were in standby mode, meaning the officers had not activated them.
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The video captured the incident on Monday, Dec. 9, showing officers carrying Brooks into a medical exam room. It shows officers punching Brooks and one stuffing a white cloth into his mouth.
The attorney general said Brooks died on the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 10, just hours after the video’s recording. The corrections department announced Brooks’ death on Sunday, Dec. 15, prompting an investigation under state law.
On Monday, Dec. 23, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the state corrections commissioner to fire 14 officers who were either directly involved or who failed to intervene.
“Like all New Yorkers, I was outraged and horrified after seeing footage of the senseless killing of Robert Brooks,” Hochul 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.”
This isn’t the first time that the Marcy Correctional Facility has faced scrutiny for its treatment of prisoners.
The Correctional Association of New York, a prison watchdog, released a report following a 2022 visit to Marcy. They said they found “rampant abuse by staff” and “pervasive allegations of racial discrimination.”
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