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Killing of Robert Brooks

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Killing of Robert Brooks
New York corrections officers beating Robert Brooks
Still from body camera footage
DateDecember 9–10, 2024 (2024-12-09 – 2024-12-10)
LocationMarcy Correctional Facility, Marcy, New York
DeathsRobert Brooks
Accused13 corrections officers, 1 nurse

On December 9, 2024, Robert Brooks, a 43-year-old black man, was beaten by multiple corrections officers in Marcy Correctional Facility in Marcy, New York[1] and died from his injuries the following morning on December 10 at Wynn Hospital in Utica, New York.[2]

Body camera footage showed that Brooks was handcuffed, compliant, and had a visible prior injury before being fatally beaten.[1][3] A preliminary examination described Brooks's cause of death as "asphyxia due to compression of the neck."[2] After an internal review, New York governor Kathy Hochul directed the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYSDOCCS) to fire the 13 officers and a prison nurse who were involved in the incident.[4]

Incident

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Robert L. Brooks was a 43-year-old inmate serving a 12-year sentence since 2017 for stabbing a woman a series of times in the upper torso with a knife, and subsequently took a plea deal to eliminate the second-degree murder charge and obtain only guilt for a crime of assault in the first-degree.[1] He was a rapper who did not finish high school.[5] On December 9, Brooks was transferred from Mohawk Correctional Facility to Marcy Correctional Facility to be brought to a medical examination room and sat on an examination table while handcuffed.[2] The right side of Brooks's face was bleeding.[6] An officer then forced a white object in Brooks's mouth and another officer held his throat. Multiple officers then started striking the restrained Brooks in his face, torso, groin, and buttocks. Several officers stood in the room as passive bystanders. Two officers then lifted Brooks by his shirt to hold him against a wall, who was then unresponsive.[1] The motionless Brooks was then placed on the examination table, where an officer conducted a sternal rub.[1]

A preliminary examination named the cause of death as "asphyxia due to compression of the neck,"[2] from the police beating.[1]

Identified officers involved in the incident include C.O. Anthony Farina,[6][7][8] Sergeant Glenn Trombly,[6][8] C.O. Nicholas Anzalone,[8][6] C.O. Matthew Galliher,[6] Sergeant Michael Marshaw,[6] C.O Christopher Walters,[6] C.O. Nicholas Kieffer,[6] and C.O.s Along, Walrath, and Kessler.[6]

Aftermath

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The beating received widespread condemnation. NYSDOCCS commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III made a statement that “It is not enough to simply condemn this horrific act and then go back to business,” emphasizing that his department now audits body cameras to ensure they remain activated at correctional facilites.[1] NYSDOCCS declined to comment when it was revealed that at least three officers involved in the beating of Brooks (Anzalone, Trombly, and Farina) had documented prior histories of violence and abuse against prisoners.[8]

On December 21, New York governor Kathy Hochul ordered for the firing of 13 officers and 1 nurse involved in the incident following an internal review.[9] The NYSCOPBA police union representing the involved officers called the events "a disgrace to their profession."[5] On December 28, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that the FBI Albany Field Office was investigating the killing of Brooks.[10]

Body camera footage of the incident was made public on December 27. The recorded bodycam footage has video but no audio as the 4 officers who wore bodycams during the incident had them powered on but not activated so the footage was recorded in the bodycam's stand-by mode where it does not record sound.[1][11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Sottile, Zoe (2024-12-27). "New York attorney general releases 'shocking and disturbing' videos of inmate's fatal beating". CNN. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  2. ^ a b c d Debusmann Jr, Bernd (2024-12-27). "Footage shows NY officers beating prisoner Robert Brooks before death". BBC. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  3. ^ Russell, Emily (2024-12-27). "Body camera footage shows fatal beating by prison staff of inmate in Utica". NCPR. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  4. ^ "Statement From Governor Kathy Hochul | Governor Kathy Hochul". www.governor.ny.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  5. ^ a b Marrocco, Bonnie (2024-12-28). "'Completely inexplicable': Family attorney reacts to body cam video of Robert Brooks' beating death in prison". WHEC.com. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Supardi, Briana (2024-12-26). "Court documents describe horrific beating of inmate at Marcy Correctional Facility". WRGB. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  7. ^ Lyons, Brendan (2024-12-20). "Prison officers identified in deadly beating of inmate will be fired". Times Union. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  8. ^ a b c d Ransom, Jan (2024-12-28). "Guards in Fatal Prison Assault Were Accused of Beating Inmates Before". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  9. ^ Marcelo, Philip (2024-12-21). "New York's governor orders firing of prison staffers involved in inmate's fatal beating". AP News. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  10. ^ Ventura, Juliann (2024-12-28). "FBI investigating killing of inmate after assault by correctional officers". The Hill. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  11. ^ Lewis, Zach (2024-12-27). "Body-Worn Camera Footage of Inmate Assault at Marcy Correctional Facility Released". WKTV NewsChannel2. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
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