Bodycam footage of New York State prison guards at Marcy Correctional Facility fatally beating a handcuffed prisoner was released on Friday.
Robert Brooks, 43, who has been in prison since 2017 and serving a 12-year sentence for assaulting his girlfriend, was beaten by New York State prison guards on December 9. He died one day after the beating.
The New York Attorney General’s office released the graphic footage amid an investigation into the fatal beating.
The footage shows officers kicking and punching Brooks.
According to the autopsy obtained by WKTV, “preliminary findings show 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.”
Because the officers’ bodycams were not activated, their cameras were in ‘standby mode’ and did not capture any audio. 14 workers, including officers and a prison nurse, are in the process of being fired following the fatal beating.
Watch (graphic content):
Be warned, the body camera video of a New York State prison guard beat-up squad beating and choking Robert Brooks to death is brutal. Its worse than George Floyd.https://t.co/D9FXepjgkW pic.twitter.com/KNoUrScxRU
— JB Nicholas (@JasonBNicholas) December 27, 2024
NBC News reported:
The office of New York’s attorney general released body camera footage Friday showing the fatal beating of a state prisoner this month by correctional officers who punched and kicked him repeatedly while he was handcuffed on an infirmary bed.
The incident, which has drawn outrage from political leaders and was condemned by the officers’ union as “incomprehensible,” is being investigated by state Attorney General Letitia James. The inmate, Robert Brooks, 43, died in the hospital a day after the Dec. 9 attack.
“I do not take lightly the release of this video, especially in the middle of the holiday season,” James said at a virtual news conference.
“These videos are shocking and disturbing,” she added.
Last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to begin the process of firing 14 workers at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, where the incident occurred. They include correctional officers, sergeants and a prison nurse. In the interim, all have been suspended without pay, except for one officer, who already resigned.
[embedded content]
THIS IS REALLY SAD THAT WE HAVE COME TO THIS, BEATING A MAN TO DEATH WHILE IN HAND CUFFS. WHERE HAS OUR HUMANITY GONE.??
The PIGS (earned by their actions) draw unemployment, while this prisoner won’t draw another breath! Hardly fair. The video shows extreme brutalization and pleasure administering pain from evil, sadistic guards.
Is this not manslaughter or murder? Can we let unemployment punish them, or should we prosecute them as well?
This kind of person seems drawn to the prison system. Evil.
The perp was a scumbag but even he didn’t deserve to be beaten and choked to death in that manner. And to what end? The CO’s will be convicted and suffer the same fate in prison. Guaranteed.