New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered more than a dozen prison staffers to be fired after a Black man, Robert Brooks, died on Dec. 10 after being beaten by white correctional officers at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Utica, New York, on Dec. 9 reports WSYR and The Associated Press.
Body-worn camera footage shows correctional officers punching and kicking the 43-year-old Brooks, who had been serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault, notes CNN:
Brooks, who has his hands handcuffed behind his back on an exam table in a medical examination room. Brooks’ face appears bloody in some of the footage.
At one point, an officer appears to shove something in Brooks’ mouth before repeatedly hitting him in the face. Another officer then punches Brooks in the groin before using a shoe to strike him…
“As Attorney General, you have my word that we will use every possible tool available to us to investigate this death thoroughly and swiftly,” [Leticia] James said.
She said four of the officers involved were wearing body cameras but did not activate them, so the cameras did not record audio of the incident.
“These videos are shocking and disturbing, and I advise all to take appropriate care before choosing to watch them,” she said.
Parts of the footage show Brooks, face down with his hands handcuffed behind his back, being carried into the building by three officers. It’s unclear what led up to Brooks being brought into the exam room.
(Sources: The Associated Press via CNN, CNN via Yahoo, WSYR/YouTube)