**WARNING — The video above contains graphic content that viewers may find disturbing.**
Newly released video of a fatal New York prison beating shows correctional officers repeatedly pummeling a handcuffed inmate, striking him in the chest with a shoe, and lifting him by the neck and dropping him.
Body-worn camera footage of the December 9 assault on Robert Brooks was made public Friday by the state’s attorney general, who is investigating the officers' use of force.
Brooks, 43, was pronounced dead at a hospital the morning after the assault at the Marcy Correctional Facility, a state prison in Oneida County.
Thirteen correctional officers and a nurse implicated in the attack will face termination, according to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who said she was “outraged and horrified” by videos of the “senseless killing.”
You can read her full statement below:
“Like all New Yorkers, I was outraged and horrified after seeing footage of the senseless killing of Robert Brooks. 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. That is why I ordered an immediate and full investigation into the death of Robert Brooks and further directed DOCCS Commissioner Martuscello to begin the termination process for the 14 individuals who were involved in his fatal attack. The State of New York has zero tolerance for individuals who break the law, and I am committed to holding everyone involved fully accountable. Once again, I want to offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Brooks’ family and loved ones as they grieve his tragic death. I am grateful to the Attorney General and her team, our State Police, and everyone working with us to ensure justice is served in this case.”
The footage made public Friday shows correctional officers repeatedly punching Brooks in the face and groin as he sits handcuffed on a medical examination table.
As one of the officers uses a shoe to strike Brooks in the stomach, another yanks him up by his neck and drops him back on the table. The officers then remove the man’s shirt and pants as he lies motionless and bloodied on his back.
“These videos are shocking and disturbing and I advise all to take appropriate care before choosing to watch them,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said.
The final results of Brooks’ autopsy are still pending.
Preliminary findings from a medical examination indicate “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," according to court filings.
The videos do not include audio because the body cameras had not been activated by the officers wearing them. There are four videos cropped to show only images of Brooks and the officers’ interactions as well as four full-length body camera videos. You can find the cropped videos in the video player above — WARNING — the video is graphic and viewers may find it disturbing. The full videos can be found on the AG's website here.
James said her office was investigating the use of force that led to Brooks' death, but did not say whether any of the officers would be charged with crimes.
“These videos are shocking and disturbing and I advise all to take appropriate care before choosing to watch them,” she said.
The following statement was issued by Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. which represents the family of Brooks:
"With the Attorney General’s release of these videos, members of the public can now view for themselves the horrific and extreme nature of the deadly attack on Robert L. Brooks. As viewers can see, Mr. Brooks was fatally, violently beaten by a group of officers whose job was to keep him safe. 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."
Brooks had been serving a 12-year prison sentence for first-degree assault since 2017, according to the department. He had arrived at the Marcy Correctional Facility only hours before the beating, after being transferred from another nearby state prison, officials said.
Below you can watch our full report on the release of the body camera video.
The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association released the following statement in response to the release of the body camera video:
"NYSCOPBA’s Executive Board has reviewed the video footage released by the Attorney General regarding the death of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility. What we have witnessed is reprehensible. It is clear to all of us that these actions are a disgrace to our profession and have put everyone inside our facilities at risk. As correction officers and sergeants, we have a duty to protect every person inside a correctional facility. At all times, we must be ready to stop those seeking to do harm, and that includes fellow staff. We, as an organization, stand in complete defiance of the callous disregard for the suffering that we have all witnessed on this video. NYSCOPBA will continue to fulfill its legal obligation to defend all members from all administrative charges, regardless of severity or public outcry. However, as more information becomes readily available, NYSCOPBA must continue to focus its efforts on advocating on behalf of those members who dutifully come to work every day and act with the professionalism and selflessness demanded of them."
7 News Senior Reporter Maki Becker spoke to Jeff Rinaldo, retired Buffalo Police Captain and now an executive at a security firm, about the lack of audio on the officers' body cameras. Rinaldo was in charge of starting the BPD body camera program in 2019. You can watch the full report below.
In a statement, the president of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, Craig DuMond, said he was “shocked, like all right thinking people, by the actions” of the correctional officers.
“No human being should be treated that way by another human being,” he added. “And it is made even worse by the fact that the extreme cruelty was inflicted by those entrusted with the power of government, against those they were entrusted to guard and protect.”
You can read his full statement below:
"Citizens of New York:
The Sheriffs of New York State are shocked, like all right thinking people, by the actions of State Corrections Officers at Marcy Correctional Facility which led to the death of Robert Brooks, as revealed by body camera footage released today. No human being should be treated that way by another human being. And it is made even worse by the fact that the extreme cruelty was inflicted by those entrusted with the power of government, against those they were entrusted to guard and protect.
Sheriffs operate the local jails across the state. We know, on a different scale, the difficulties the state faces in safely and humanely managing inmates and correctional facilities under current circumstances. Today, few people are interested in taking, or keeping, the difficult job of Corrections Officer. That results in understaffing and frequent forced overtime. At the same time, many inmates are emboldened by recent state laws that ban virtually all inmate discipline, thus removing most effective tools for managing prison and jail populations. Corrections Officers are frustrated and exhausted. It is a difficult job that we ask these good public servants to do and do right. We are grateful for those Corrections Officers who do show up for work, and who perform their jobs professionally and treat all inmates safely, humanely and respectfully. We regret that the recent action of a few has unfairly tarnished the reputation of the many good officers.
Sheriffs of New York are today asking their jail administrators and Corrections Officers to redouble their efforts, to assure the inmates in their care that they are safe in our jails, and respected as fellow human beings. We expect the next few days to be difficult ones for everyone involved in corrections — on both sides. We ask that reason and calm prevail with everyone so that further tragedies may be avoided."
