Caption: This screenshot taken from New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) body camera footage and released by the Office of the New York State Attorney General shows DOCCS officers with Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, New York on December 9. Credit: AFP Photo/New York State Department of Corrections
Law enforcement in the US state of New York on Friday released “devastating” footage of prison guards beating a Black inmate shortly before he died.
The body-worn camera footage, recorded the night of December 9, shows Robert Brooks, 43, brutalized by multiple prison guards, with his face bloodied and neck held.
Brooks, an inmate at a northern New York prison serving a 12-year sentence for assault, was pronounced dead later that night.
Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, said the video was released to provide “transparency and accountability.”
In a statement, Brooks’ relatives said they found “watching the horrific and violent final moments of Robert’s life was devastating for his loved ones.”
“We will not rest until we have secured justice for Robert’s memory,” the statement added.
The footage shows Brooks restrained on what appears to be a hospital bed with several guards holding him down and beating him.
Brooks is later seen sitting up and gets dragged off the bed by his collar.
A preliminary autopsy reported in local press said the cause of death was “asphyxia due to compression of the neck,” though full autopsy results remain pending.
The footage lacks audio, which James said was because the guards “did not activate” their body-worn cameras despite them being on, leading to the soundless recording.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the incident in a statement.
“We have no tolerance for individuals who cross the line, break the law and engage in unnecessary violence or targeted abuse,” she said.
Evidence of police brutality has been a galvanizing political force in the United States.
Footage of the 2020 death of George Floyd, a Black American, under the knee of a police officer sparked widespread outrage and led to racial justice protests across the country. (AFP)
