The relatives of Robert Brooks conveyed their grief and determination during a federal civil rights lawsuit that they initiated on Wednesday. Coming forward to the public for the first time since the tragic incident, they detailed how Brooks suffered fatal injuries at the hands of officers stationed at Marcy Correctional Facility in December. The press briefing involved Robert L. Brooks, Jr. and Jared Ricks, the son and brother of the deceased respectively. Both provided an account of the events: ‘On December 9, 2024, Robert L. Brooks endured torture and ultimately death in the hands of corrections officers at Marcy Correctional Facility.’
‘As the gruesome incident unfolded, some Marcy staff members chose to remain on the sidelines, not intervening when their colleague needed to be restrained.’ ‘Robert’s circumstances did not warrant any form of violence, and definitely not a fatal one.’ ‘Without the knowledge of his assailants, a body camera had passively captured most of the brutal attack.’ ‘After perpetrating the killing against Robert, they casually resumed their daily activities.’
The video evidence of Robert’s horrific demise, albeit unbearable to watch, spotlights the habitual violence and mistreatment that the prison population at Marcy has to endure. In a desperate cry for help, the family warned about the significant threat to the lives of individuals incarcerated in New York state prisons. This morning, we’ve initiated a federal civil rights lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. This is on behalf of Robert L. Brooks’s estate.
Robert was a man serving his time, paying back his debt to society. He was entitled to his life.’ ‘He had the right to see his sentence through, to ultimately rejoin his family and reintegrate into his community.’ ‘As his grieving family, we are enduring an unimaginable degree of sorrow.’ ‘No person should ever have to undergo such distress.’ ‘Especially the brutal killing of a family member by those sworn to protect him.’
Our gratitude goes out to everyone supporting us, echoing that this tragedy that befell my father shouldn’t happen to anyone. However, allow me to share more about my father, Robert was more than just the unfortunate final moments of his life.’ ‘Robert L. Brooks was a community hero, an exceptional man, and everyone’s favorite uncle.’ ‘His legacy will always be alive through us.’
I’m determined to honor him by continuing my pursuit of music.’ ‘During my father’s incarceration, we maintained regular communication.’ ‘We started envisioning a renewed life after his release.’ ‘However, the system working for those officers cheated us out of that opportunity.’ ‘I will sadly never see my father again.’
But we refuse to let his death be futile.’ ‘This heartache should pave the way for justice for my father, our family, and we won’t relent until we achieve it.’ ‘Robert Brooks was my elder brother, my only sibling.’ ‘He was always there for me, being 11 years and a day older than me.’ ‘He played the role of an elder brother with an unwavering dedication. My earliest words were a tribute to him – ‘Rah-Rah’ for Robert.’
He functioned as my mentor, voice of reason, a confidant, and now he has departed this world.’ ‘As a child, I considered myself blessed to have Robert as my brother.’ ‘Before earning his celestial wings, my brother was my earthly guardian angel.’ ‘We often indulged in bonding activities like movie outings, bowling sessions, and shopping sprees.’
As I journeyed towards adulthood, he always had a knack for delivering tough love talks, which in retrospect have empowered me to deal with the ongoing ordeal.’ ‘My brother and I had a shared affection for music.’ ‘He used to accompany me to the recording studio.’ ‘On a daily basis, our family is walking through the healing process.’
Robert had completed two-thirds of his 12-year sentence deemed appropriate by legal authorities.’ ‘However, those 17 workers at Marcy Correctional Facility decided a death sentence was ‘more fitting’.’ ‘Such an act is an affront to fairness and humanity.’
Incarcerated individuals remain human beings.’ ‘They are entitled to their rights.’ ‘They should be living a life free from the fear of facing such a tragic end.’ ‘This incident has left our family in ruins, yet we remain focused.’
We pledge to channel our profound grief into seeking justice. Our aim is to prevent others from enduring the raw devastation that comes with viewing harrowing incident footage in 30-minute increments or experiencing the array of emotions that have consumed us over the past month.’ ‘We demand that Robert’s killers be held accountable.’
And we champion systemic change.