An autopsy report shared by the lawyer for an inmate’s family revealed that the inmate, who was handcuffed and died after being beaten by jail officers last year, was killed by homicide. This incident caused a lot of anger.
The report stated that Robert Brooks died on December 10 because of neck compression and several hard-force injuries, according to attorney Elizabeth Mazur who spoke to NBC News.
“The autopsy report confirms what we already knew,” said the family’s defense team in a statement. Robert Brooks was murdered. We hope those responsible will be prosecuted. We are continuing to work hard for justice for Mr. Brooks and his family.
A finding of murder does not mean that someone did something wrong. It means the person was killed by someone else.
A representative from the Onondaga County Health Department said they can’t share the results because the case is still being looked into. The local prosecutor’s office did not say because there is an ongoing investigation.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that based on the results, authorities should act quickly to bring criminal charges.
“Those who caused Mr. Brooks’ death should face the strongest punishment possible under the law,” she said. “This terrible act of violence needs our justice system to take strong action — Mr. Brooks’ family shouldn’t have to wait any longer.”
A representative from the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association did not reply right away to a request for comment on Wednesday. The union said the officers’ actions shown in the video were “terrible” and “not representative of the good work that most of our members do every day.”
Brooks, 43, was in prison for 12 years for first-degree assault. He was moved to Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, about 240 miles north of New York City, on December 9, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James, who spoke to press after his death.
The officers involved in the fight did not turn on their body cameras. As a result, they did not record any audio and only recorded 30 minutes of video while the cameras were not in use, James said. Her office shared several videos from the cameras of the four cops that recorded the beating.
One video shows Brooks, with his hands cuffed behind him, being taken upside down into a medical exam room at the facility. It’s not clear what Brooks said to the police. Although he doesn’t seem to fight back physically, the videos show different angles and sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s happening in the room.
Another video shows police hitting Brooks several times while his hands are still tied. At one point, a cop is seen grabbing Brooks by the neck and slamming him onto a bed.
In December, Hochul asked the state Department of Corrections to start the process of firing 14 corrections officers, sergeants, and a nurse at Marcy. All 14 officials have been named and suspended without pay, except for one who had already quit. It was not clear on Wednesday what happened to the other cops.
Daniel Martuscello, the commissioner of the Corrections Department, said in December that his office started a review to make changes in the system.
“There is no justification for a cruel act that needlessly took someone’s life,” he said. “This behavior is not acceptable, and I won’t allow it in DOCCS.”
Last month, Brooks’ estate filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in New York, blaming 17 people for using unnecessary force and making other claims related to his death. The lawsuit does not state any amount of losses. There are no lawyers for the suspects, and they haven’t replied to the lawsuit.
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