New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel Martuscello says there is no excuse for the actions of his correction officers following the death of a Marcy Correctional Facility inmate.
The New York Attorney General’s office released the video Friday afternoon. It shows the events leading up to the death of Robert Brooks earlier this month.
“The four officers had their body-worn cameras powered on, but did not activate them, so their cameras were recording video in standby mode without recording sound,” Attorney General Letitia James said.
James added that her office will be investigating, using all its resources.
Brooks’ family released a statement through their lawyer, saying in part, “With the Attorney General's release of these videos, members of the public can now view for themselves the horrific and extreme nature of the deadly attack on Robert L. Brooks.
“As viewers can see, Mr. Brooks was fatally, violently beaten by a group of officers whose job was to keep him safe. He deserved to live and everyone else living in Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they do not have to live in fear of violence at the hands of prison staff."
Brooks can be seen in the video being struck while he was restrained inside a medical examination room at Marcy, an all-male medium-security facility in Oneida County, on Dec. 9. Brooks was ultimately taken to Wynn Hospital in Utica where he died the following day.
Gov. Kathy Hochul previously called for 14 individuals who work at Marcy to be fired for their involvement in Brooks' death. The former resident of Greece was serving a 12-year sentence for stabbing his girlfriend in 2016.
You can view the body-worn camera videos on the Attorney General's website.