New Bodycam Footage Shows New York Corrections Officers Beating Inmate Who Later Died
Newly released bodycam footage reveals a disturbing incident at New York's Marcy Correctional Facility, where corrections officers were captured beating 43-year-old inmate Robert Brooks, who died the next morning.
The footage from the Dec 9 incident, made public by New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday (Dec. 27), sparked outrage amongst the public, prompting an investigation into the use of force.
In the clip, officers are repeatedly seen striking Brooks, who was handcuffed and seated on a medical examination table. The videos do not include audio because the body cameras had not been activated at the time by the officers wearing them.
One officer appears to place an object in his mouth before striking him, while another uses a shoe to hit him in the stomach. At one point, Brooks is lifted by his neck and forcefully slammed back onto the table. The officers then removed his shirt and pants as he lay motionless. Preliminary findings attribute Brook’s death to “asphyxia due to compression of the neck,” the BBC reported.
Brooks, who was serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault since 2017, had been transferred to Marcy Correctional Facility the day of the incident. The circumstances leading to his being taken to the medical unit remain unclear as the videos lack audio.
The victim’s family attorney, Elizabeth Mazur, condemned the actions, describing the attack as “horrific and extreme.”
She added, "He deserved to live, and everyone else living in Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they do not have to live in fear of violence at the hands of prison staff."
Thirteen correctional officers and a nurse implicated in the attack will face termination, according to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
In response to Brooks' death, the state's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision also issued a directive mandating the use of body cameras during all staff interactions with incarcerated individuals.