Robert Brooks, an inmate at a central New York state correctional facility, died after he was savagely beaten by officers while restrained and the entire incident was seen by the wider public via bodycam video footage. As a result, the FBI and other agencies are investigating the death of Robert Brooks as the family seeks answers and justice.
According to several reports, including local outlet Utica Observer-Dispatch, Robert Brooks, 43, has been jailed since 2017 and serving a 12-year sentence at the Mohawk Correctional Facility for stabbing a woman multiple times and took a plea deal to have a second-degree murder charge dropped.
As the Observer-Dispatch adds, the release of the bodycam footage by the New York State Attorney General’s Office showed Brooks being cooperative with the correctional officers and was cuffed as the officers used brutal force. From what we did watch, the officers used their hands and feet to administer heavy blows to Brooks, who never once appeared to resist. Brooks would later succumb to his injuries at a Utica hospital on Dec. 10. Admittedly, we could not finish the video but the footage can be viewed by following this link. We do urge caution before opening.
New York Attorney General Letitia James held a virtual press conference on Friday, Dec. 27 regarding the Brooks matter and offered a statement.
“Mr. Brooks had been incarcerated at Mohawk Correctional Facility and was transferred to Marcy on Dec. 9. During the incident, he was handcuffed with his hands behind his back,” James said. “I don’t take the release of these videos lightly. But as attorney general, I release these videos because I have a responsibility and duty to the Brooks family and their loved ones and all New Yorkers with transparency and accountability.”
CNN added in its reporting that several elected officials and organizations spoke out after witnessing the footage, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the ACLU. The organization says that they have monitored reports from the Marcy Correctional Facility of inmate mistreatment by officers.
As the matter of Robert Brooks continues to develop, we will take note of all happenings and share them with the readership.
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Photo: Getty