New York corrections officers involved in the fatal beating of inmate Robert Brooks have been officially charged with murder.
Brooks, who was serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault, was captured on bodycam footage being brutally beaten while his hands were cuffed behind his back. The attack occurred on December 9 following his transfer from Mohawk Correctional Facility to Marcy Correctional Facility.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the incident, stating, “The brutal attack on Mr. Brooks was sickening, and I immediately moved to terminate the employment of those involved. Now, the perpetrators have been rightfully charged with murder, and State Police are making arrests.”
Brooks, 43, succumbed to his injuries the following day at Wynn Hospital in Utica, NY. An autopsy confirmed his death was a homicide, with investigators citing concerns of “asphyxia due to compression of the neck” as the cause, according to court filings reported by The New York Times.
This case has sparked renewed scrutiny over the treatment of inmates in New York’s correctional system, with calls for increased oversight and accountability for law enforcement officers in state prisons.
