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Guards hold Robert Brooks while beating him. Fiscalía de Nueva York
Death of Inmate After Brutal Beating by Guards Shocks New York

Death of Inmate After Brutal Beating by Guards Shocks New York

Several videos capture a group of state correctional officers repeatedly beating Robert Brooks, 43, with his hands cuffed behind his back, until he is left motionless.

M. Pérez

Sábado, 28 de diciembre 2024, 15:55

The New York Attorney General, Letitia James, is investigating the death of an inmate at the Marcy Correctional Facility, located in the same state, after several officers subjected him to a brutal beating in the prison clinic. The incident occurred on December 9, and the detainee, Robert Brooks, 43, was declared dead the following day at the Utica hospital where he had been transferred. The events came to light this Friday, early Saturday in Spain, after the Prosecutor's Office authorized the release of some videos recorded by the officers' body cameras, according to CNN.

The footage has shocked much of American society. It shows Brooks handcuffed, lying on a stretcher and surrounded by correctional staff. At least four of them repeatedly hit him in the face, chest, and groin. They use their fists, a baton, and, apparently, a shoe. At one point, they lift the inmate, of African American descent, who appears completely limp and with a bloodied face. They are also seen pushing him against a wall and hitting him on the back. At the end of the recording, the victim appears on the stretcher, unconscious and seemingly lifeless while a guard performs a first aid massage to check for any reaction.

Brooks was serving a 12-year prison sentence for stabbing his girlfriend. He had been incarcerated since 2017, and on the day he was beaten, he had just arrived at Marcy, transferred from another correctional facility.

Several officers beat the inmate on the stretcher and then sit him up, already with a bloodied face. New York Attorney General's Office

James warned that the events are "shocking and disturbing," but her department decided to release the footage to ensure "transparency" in the investigation. Apart from the recorded brutal assault, the Prosecutor's Office is trying to determine what happened in the moments before he was led handcuffed and dragged to the medical examination room. The inmate arrived with his hands shackled behind his back, face down, apparently without strength, and with three security guards holding him by the arms and feet.

The forensic report determined that Brooks died from asphyxiation due to "neck compression" caused by "actions of other people." An emergency doctor stated that the victim might have also suffered a fatal spinal cord injury when violently lifted from the stretcher by the officers. The prosecutor claims that all of them "will be held accountable." According to the videos, between three and four guards participated in the beating, although the room was full of security members who did nothing to stop the assault.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has confessed to being "outraged and horrified" by what she calls a "senseless homicide." In a statement released this Saturday, she explained that she has ordered the State Department of Corrections to dismiss fourteen officers involved, regardless of the criminal actions that may be taken against them. "The vast majority of correctional officers do an extraordinary job under difficult circumstances, and we are all grateful for their service. But we have zero tolerance for individuals who cross the line, break the law, and engage in unnecessary violence or targeted abuse," Hochul declares in the statement.

The Department of Corrections has also condemned the brutal beating. Its head, Daniel F. Martuscello III, sent a message stating that the videos left him "deeply disgusted." He added that he will make "institutional changes" and introduce measures to improve safety in "interactions between inmates and officers" and prevent abuses of power. A department official has resigned, and this Saturday, the department ordered a daily check of all security guards' body cameras to ensure their permanent operation. In the case of Brooks' fatal beating, most devices were off, and none recorded audio.

Elizabeth Mazur, the Brooks family's lawyer, revealed that, as "expected, watching the horrific and violent final moments of Robert's life was devastating for his loved ones and will be disturbing for anyone who watches the video. We will not rest until we have secured justice for Robert's memory and safety for the prisoners at the Marcy Correctional Facility," she added.

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todoalicante Death of Inmate After Brutal Beating by Guards Shocks New York