'Despicable': Fatal beating of Robert Brooks in NY prison sparks outrage, inquiries
As investigators on Tuesday continued to probe the death of Robert Brooks, a New York inmate who was brutally beaten while handcuffed in a prison infirmary, residents held demonstrations and vigils as officials announced procedural changes at the facility where the episode occurred.
Brooks, 43, was pronounced dead Dec. 10, a day after corrections officers at Marcy Correctional Facility in central New York pummeled him as his hands were tied behind his back. Officers had not activated their body cameras, but video taken while the devices were in standby mode showed them punching, kicking and choking Brooks while stripping him of his clothes.
Brooks' death and the footage released last week sparked outrage and led to a protests outside Gov. Kathy Hochul's office in Manhattan and demonstrations in Rochester, where local leaders called for reform of the criminal justice system and the prosecution of the officers involved in the attack.
Hocul in recent days has directed a full investigation, ordered the termination of the 14 corrections employees involved in Brooks' death, and, on Monday, announced the facility will get a new superintendent as she aims for "significant culture change." State Attorney General Letitia James has also opened an investigation into the officers’ use of force, and the FBI and Justice Department confirmed they're reviewing the incident.
Here is what we know about the incident, investigations and the response by authorities:
What happened to Robert Brooks?
Brooks, who was about halfway through a 12-year prison sentence for first-degree assault, was moved on Dec. 9 from the Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome, New York, to the Marcy Correctional Facility, about 53 miles northeast of Syracuse.
Body camera footage released last week showed Brooks' handcuffed behind his back in a prison infirmary as officers punched him, hit him with a shoe, lifted him by his neck, pushed him up against a wall and stripped him of his clothing before medical personnel entered an examination room to assess him.
On Dec. 10, he was pronounced dead at Wynn Hospital in Utica. His autopsy results were still pending, officials said.
Brooks was a resident of Greece in Monroe County and was incarcerated at Marcy Correctional Facility after stabbing his then-girlfriend multiple times during a physical dispute. He pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, which started in 2017.
Hochul appoints new leadership, orders reforms at Marcy prison
After Hochul ordered the termination of all those involved in Brooks' death, 13 people have been suspended without pay and one has resigned.
The governor said she directed corrections department leaders to implement immediate changes to protect the safety and well-being of all department personnel and incarcerated people, including appointing Shawangunk Correctional Facility Superintendent Bennie Thorpe as new superintendent of the Marcy Correctional Facility.
Hochul said she will add staff members to the state corrections department’s special investigation office to "ensure that complaints are handled immediately and that anyone found of wrongdoing will be held accountable in a timely manner." The governor also said she will direct the department to hire an outside firm to conduct a review of the culture, patterns and practices across the entire correctional system.
The newly announced actions build on existing work directed by Hochul in the days after Brooks’ death. Hochul said corrections department leadership has already expanded a policy that requires staff members to activate body-worn cameras whenever they come into contact with incarcerated people.
“Today, as I stood in the room where Robert Brooks was killed, I was once again heartbroken by this unnecessary loss of life and further sickened to think of the actions of depraved individuals with no regard for human life,” Hochul said in a statement Monday. “The system failed Mr. Brooks, and I will not be satisfied until there has been significant culture change."
Incident brings calls for justice
Brooks' death has led to a series of demonstrations and vigils in which members of Brooks' family, citizens and clergy leaders have called for reform to the criminal justice system and the prosecution of the officers who attacked Brooks.
The Rev. Dwight Fowler said Monday that the United Christian Leadership Ministry wants the corrections officers involved in Brooks' death fired and criminally prosecuted, and he called for a state-led investigation into conditions inside the prison and new policies requiring the use of body-worn cameras in prisons statewide.
"We have witnessed a type of slave patrol and a type of slave annihilation," Fowler said. He said he could describe their actions only as "despicable, barbaric, ruthless, dehumanizing type of slave patrol behavior."
On the same day, about 200 people marched in front of Hochul's office in Manhattan, demanding the arrest of the corrections officers involved in Brooks' death.
Later Monday, a vigil was held in Rochester, New York, where Brooks was born and raised. The event featured speakers from across the community, including local leaders and government officials.
"The Rochester community is once again making a painful plea for justice and change within our criminal justice system," New York state Sen. Jeremy Cooney said. "I continue to be moved by the calls for state policies and resources that will enact clearly needed systemic change in our correctional facilities. Every New Yorker − incarcerated or free − must be afforded the dignity of life."
Robert Brooks' family speaks out
Brooks' family members spoke at a vigil Monday night in Rochester, including his son, Robert Brooks Jr., who read Brooks' obituary.
Brooks was born in Rochester and grew up attending schools within the Rochester City School District, including George Matthew Forbes School and Frederick Douglass School, his son said. Those who knew him said he was a creative person with a talent for writing poetry and short stories and producing rap music.
"Our family is very grateful for the community support," Brooks Jr. said. "Our deepest wish is that my father’s death will not be in vain. His killing must be a catalyst for change. Justice must be served."
Contributing: Thao Nguyen and Amaris Encinas, Paste BN; Emily Barnes, Paste BN Network’s New York Connect Team; and Kayla Canne, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle