The demise of a prisoner, following a physical assault captured on bodycam footage, has been officially deemed a homicide. A total of ten prior corrections officers from Marcy Correctional Facility in New York have been indicted by a grand jury in connection to the death of captive Robert Brooks Sr. Aged 43 at his time of death, Brooks’ life was cut short just one day after he was moved from one penitentiary to another in December of 2024.
Examination of the bodycam footage revealed that the officers had assaulted Brooks while he was in handcuffs. William Fitzpatrick, the District Attorney for Onandaga County, advanced this horrific revelation post-indictment, stating the cause of Brooks’ death as a severe and multi-layered physical battering.
According to Mr. Fitzpatrick, Brooks was subjected to severe beatings which caused not just external but also profound internal injuries. His inner organs showed signs of blunt trauma, his hyoid bone was fractured, and his thyroid cartilage brutally torn. Brooks also underwent repeated restrictions of his breathing pathways that led to significant brain damage. Frighteningly, he ultimately suffocated on his own blood.
Following the revelations, several of the officers involved have received serious indictments. Anthony Farina, Nicholas Anzalone, David Kingsley, Christopher Walrath, and Matthew Gallagher, all former correctional officers, are facing charges of second-degree murder, a charge which can impose a lifetime of incarceration. Michael Mashaw, Michael Fisher, and David Walters, also prior officers, have been indicted on second-degree manslaughter charges.
Nicholas Gentile, another ex-officer, is accused of tampering with evidence. As determined by sentencing guidelines, the less severe offenses can lead to incarceration for periods ranging from 4 to 15 years. One individual facing the charge of second-degree murder has yet to turn himself in, with his arraignment pending. Additionally, plea deals have been reached with three ex-officers, with inquiries regarding others still ongoing.
According to Fitzpatrick, the previously available evidence – although gruesome – suggests that Brooks was a victim rather than an instigator of the confrontations that preceded his death. Contrary to common expectations, Fitzpatrick clarifies that his team couldn’t spot any tangible provocation on Brooks’ part that would have summoned such brutal physical reactions from the officers.
Speculations often suggest that the inmate must have done something to provoke such brutality; he might have verbally abused the officers, spit on them, or tried to resist in some manner. However, the hard truth, according to Fitzpatrick, is that Brooks was an innocent victim of unwarranted violence. As a result, Brooks’ death becomes an even more tragic commentary on the circumstances.
Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her disapproval over the tragedy and approved the termination of employment for the individuals in question. In a statement released, she iterated her horror at the brutality faced by Mr. Brooks and applauded the charges of murder being applied to the assailants. Now, arrests are being conducted by the State Police to apprehend and charge the said perpetrators.
The case was taken up by Fitzpatrick serving as special prosecutor, after Attorney General Letitia James recused herself due to a potential conflict of interest as some accused officers were already being represented by counsel from her office owing to prior brutality lawsuits. During the proceedings, his office announced a ‘noteworthy development’, but no additional details were made immediately available.
Bodycam footage, as released by the office of the Attorney General, depicts the horrifying scenes of Marcy Correctional Facility officers assaulting Brooks whilst he was shackled on a medical examination table on the date of December 9th, 2024. Actions depicted include beating Brooks with a shoe, hoisting him by his neck, and then viciously dropping him. He succumbed to his injuries the very next day.
A report from the county’s medical examiner’s office concluded that the cause of Brooks’ death was a homicide, from a combination of neck compression and serious blunt force trauma injuries. Speaking with CBS Mornings last month, his son, Robert Brooks Jr., demanded that all those involved face prosecution for their role in his father’s murder. In his words, the actions of the officers resulted in the theft of his father from him, they had indeed ‘robbed him from [him].’
Brooks had previously been serving a 12-year term for assaulting his son’s mother and had only been transferred to Marcy Correction Facilities a few hours before receiving the fatal beating. Although Brooks was serving his sentence responsibly, according to his son, he was one step closer to redemption and awaiting his return to society. However, instead of rehabilitation, he met with a premature and distasteful end, as pointed out by Brooks Jr.
In the aftermath, the Brooks family lodged a civil rights lawsuit alleging that the system supported and tolerated a violent approach in prisons. The horrifying incident spurred Governor Hochul to personally inspect the facility, situated around 200 miles northwest of New York City, between Rome and Utica. She appointed a new superintendent to oversee the prison and pledged to expedite the investment of $400 million towards installing additional surveillance cameras at the facility. Moreover, termination proceedings for over a dozen employees were initiated by the state.
In her statement following the visit, Governor Hochul expressed her grief and outrage over the inhuman acts that transpired. Brooks’ senseless death was a display of heartlessness and disdain for life, which left her utterly despondent. Consequently, multiple employees, including fifteen nurses and two officers, have been suspended without pay as the investigation continues. In at least one case, an officer chose to resign instead.