‘Shocking’ bodycam footage captures prison staff beating inmate shortly before his death
In the video, shown by New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday, officers can be seen surrounding Robert Brooks who is restrained
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Newly released body cam footage shows the moment that a New York corrections officer violently beat an inmate on a medical exam table, just hours before he died.
In the video, shown by New York Attorney General Letitia James at a press conference on Friday, officers can be seen surrounding Robert Brooks – who is restrained with his hands cuffed behind his back.
The officers are seen beating him on his head, chest, and genital area in the medical exam room with one officer hitting him with a shoe. Later, the video shows them taking off his pants and shirt.
The disturbing incident occurred at Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County on December 9. Brooks died the next day in the hospital.
Brooks, 43, had been serving a 12-year prison sentence for first-degree assault since 2017, according to the corrections department.
Footage of the beating was released during a virtual news conference hosted by James.
The New York AG showed videos from four different officers, redacted based on her office’s guidelines. James said the four cameras were on but on standby mode, so they did not record sound, and described the footage as “shocking and disturbing.”
“I do not take lightly the release of this video, especially in the middle of the holiday season,” she said.
“But as Attorney General, I release these videos because I have a responsibility and duty to provide the family, loved ones and all New Yorkers with transparency and accountability,” she added. “My deepest condolences go out to Mr Brooks’ family.”
James’ office opened an investigation into Brooks’ death on December 16.
Since the incident, one corrections officer has resigned and 13 others have been suspended without pay. New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for all the individuals involved to be fired over the fatal beating.
In a previous statement, Hochul said that she has directed the state’s corrections department commissioner to begin the process of terminating the 14 workers involved in the attack.
“The vast majority of correction officers do extraordinary work under difficult circumstances, and we are all grateful for their service," the Democrat said in a statement. "But we have no tolerance for individuals who cross the line, break the law and engage in unnecessary violence or targeted abuse."
Brooks’ family said in a statement from their lawyer that they are “incredibly shocked and saddened" about the death, according to The Times-Union in Albany, which first reported the death.
“We are grateful that Gov. Hochul is taking swift action to hold officers accountable, but we cannot understand how this could have happened in the first place,” the family said in its statement, according to the newspaper. “No one should have to lose a family member this way.”