New York jail guards beat a handcuffed inmate hours earlier than he died, a newly launched video has revealed.
Bodycam footage of the incident reveals three correction officers repeatedly kicking and punching Robert Brooks earlier than leaving the prisoner unconscious in an examination room at Marcy Correctional Facility in Upstate New York.
Within the video, which was taken on Dec 9, Brooks is repeatedly struck within the face and groin as he sits handcuffed to a medical examination desk whereas different jail workers watch the assault happen.
At one level, one of many officers makes use of a shoe to strike Brooks within the abdomen whereas one other yanks him up by his neck in a choke maintain earlier than dropping him again on the desk.
After the 30-minute assault, Brooks was left stripped all the way down to his underwear, mendacity immobile and bloodied on an examination desk.
The 43-year-old, who was serving time for assault, was pronounced useless at a hospital the following day.
Footage of the “stunning and disturbing” assault was made public on Friday by New York Legal professional Normal Letitia James.
“I don’t take evenly the discharge of this video particularly in the midst of the vacation season,” she mentioned, as she provided her “deepest condolences” to Brooks’ household.
Ms James mentioned her workplace was investigating using pressure that led to Brooks’ dying, however didn’t say whether or not any of the officers could be charged with crimes.
13 correctional officers and a nurse implicated within the assault shall be fired, based on New York governor Kathy Hochul, who mentioned she was “outraged and horrified” by movies of the “mindless killing”.
Robert Brooks, left, is seen together with his son Robert Brooks, Jr
The ultimate outcomes of Brooks’ post-mortem are nonetheless pending, however preliminary findings cite “asphyxia on account of compression of the neck” as a possible reason behind dying, courtroom filings present.
State corrections commissioner, Daniel Martuscello III, mentioned he was “deeply repulsed and nauseated” by the footage and has thus far suspended these concerned with out pay, whereas one other worker resigned.
“There isn’t a excuse and no rationalisation for a vulgar, inhumane act that senselessly took a life,” Mr Martuscello instructed the New York Publish, including that the state’s division of corrections and neighborhood supervision was finishing up an inside probe.
The division issued a directive within the wake of Brooks’ dying requiring workers to make use of physique cameras in all interactions with prisoners.
With the discharge of the movies, “members of the general public can now view for themselves the horrific and excessive nature of the lethal assault on Robert L. Brooks,” a lawyer for his household, Elizabeth Mazur, mentioned.
“As viewers can see, Mr Brooks was fatally, violently crushed by a bunch of officers whose job was to maintain him protected,” Ms Mazur mentioned.
“He deserved to reside, and everybody else dwelling in Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they don’t have to reside in concern of violence by the hands of jail workers.”
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