US prisoner fatally assaulted by correctional officers
New York officials have made public bodycam footage pertinent to the “senseless killing” of Robert Brooks that took place earlier this month. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
New York officials have released bodycam footage pertaining to the tragic death of Robert Brooks earlier this month.
The footage, made public on Friday, depicts officers at Marcy Correctional Facility in New York physically assaulting inmate Robert Brooks, who was restrained for a medical examination just hours before his death was confirmed.
The incident took place on December 9, and officials have committed to a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 43-year-old’s death while in custody. Attorney General Letitia James announced that thirteen correctional officers and a nurse will face termination as a result of their involvement.
Governor Kathy Hochul reacted with outrage and horror, describing Brooks’s death as “the senseless killing.” In connection with the footage's release, the Attorney General’s office made public records from four body cameras operated by personnel who interacted with Brooks, though they noted that the footage lacked audio because the officers did not turn on recording. James characterized the images as “shocking and disturbing,” urging caution for viewers.
The bodycam footage reveals officers from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision assaulting Brooks, who was handcuffed with his hands behind his back. Reports describe officers striking him in the chest with a shoe, slapping him in the face, and lifting him by the neck.
Brooks had been serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault since 2017 and was involved in a violent encounter shortly after being transferred to Marcy Correctional Facility from another prison in Oneida County in the state’s northwest.
He was pronounced dead on the morning of December 10 at a local hospital, where he had been taken from the jail's medical examination room. A preliminary medical report indicates that Brooks may have been fatally strangled.
Elizabeth Mazur, the attorney representing the Brooks family, stated that the footage serves as confirmation that he “was fatally, violently beaten by a group of officers whose job was to keep him safe.” She emphasized that “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.”
The union representing state correctional officers commented on the incident, stating that it “is incomprehensible to say the least and is certainly not reflective of the great work that the vast majority of our membership conducts every day.”
“We cannot and will not condone this behavior,” the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association asserted.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
The footage, made public on Friday, depicts officers at Marcy Correctional Facility in New York physically assaulting inmate Robert Brooks, who was restrained for a medical examination just hours before his death was confirmed.
The incident took place on December 9, and officials have committed to a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 43-year-old’s death while in custody. Attorney General Letitia James announced that thirteen correctional officers and a nurse will face termination as a result of their involvement.
Governor Kathy Hochul reacted with outrage and horror, describing Brooks’s death as “the senseless killing.” In connection with the footage's release, the Attorney General’s office made public records from four body cameras operated by personnel who interacted with Brooks, though they noted that the footage lacked audio because the officers did not turn on recording. James characterized the images as “shocking and disturbing,” urging caution for viewers.
The bodycam footage reveals officers from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision assaulting Brooks, who was handcuffed with his hands behind his back. Reports describe officers striking him in the chest with a shoe, slapping him in the face, and lifting him by the neck.
Brooks had been serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault since 2017 and was involved in a violent encounter shortly after being transferred to Marcy Correctional Facility from another prison in Oneida County in the state’s northwest.
He was pronounced dead on the morning of December 10 at a local hospital, where he had been taken from the jail's medical examination room. A preliminary medical report indicates that Brooks may have been fatally strangled.
Elizabeth Mazur, the attorney representing the Brooks family, stated that the footage serves as confirmation that he “was fatally, violently beaten by a group of officers whose job was to keep him safe.” She emphasized that “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.”
The union representing state correctional officers commented on the incident, stating that it “is incomprehensible to say the least and is certainly not reflective of the great work that the vast majority of our membership conducts every day.”
“We cannot and will not condone this behavior,” the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association asserted.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
