ROCHESTER, New York — The son of an inmate who died following a lengthy beating by New York prison guards claimed in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday that his father’s attackers “systematically and casually beat him to death” in a correctional system that tolerates violence.
Robert L. Brooks Sr., 43, died on December 10, one day after being beaten at Marcy Correctional Facility in upstate New York. According to the lawsuit, body camera footage shows “several large white law enforcement officers torturing a bloodied Black man who is restrained, helpless, and struggling to maintain consciousness,” and the assault lasted around ten minutes. Officers hit the shackled Brooks in the chest with a shoe, raised him by the neck, and dropped him, while employees who witnessed the beating remained unconcerned.
His son, Robert L. Brooks Jr., sued the group of more than a dozen guards involved in the attack, as well as the upstate facility’s director at the time and the commissioner of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
“I want the name Robert L. Brooks to be remembered forever, not just for his final moments,” Brooks Jr. stated at a news conference. He reported feeling helpless and devastated while seeing the film, but he believed the world deserved to see the sights.
“They have the power to spark the change we need,” the politician stated.
The case, which seeks unspecified damages, claims that defendants at the prison used excessive force and ignored Brooks’ critical medical needs. It also alleges gross negligence and wrongful death.
Because New York cannot be sued in federal court for civil rights abuses, the family’s attorneys said they would bring a separate action against the state in the state Court of Claims.
They stated that the prison officers never anticipated the video to be released and that it is evidence of “rampant abuse” at the facility in upstate New York.
“What troubles us the most is that this is the tip of the iceberg, we think,” said Steve Schwarz, a lawyer, “and that’s why we’re very interested in digging deeper.”
According to Schwarz, the family has yet to learn why Brooks was transferred to Marcy from another institution earlier that day or what he was doing before the assault. He had completed nine years of a twelve-year sentence for assault.
A representative for the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision stated that the agency does not comment on pending litigation.
This month, New York’s attorney general appointed a special prosecutor to examine Brooks’ death. Attorney General Letitia James recused herself from the investigation, citing her office’s defense of many officers in unrelated civil actions, thus Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick took over as special prosecutor.
The results of Brooks’ autopsy have not been made public. However, preliminary findings from a medical examination show “concern for asphyxia due to compression of the neck as the cause of death, as well as the death being due to the actions of another,” according to court documents.
According to the claim, Brooks died solely as a result of the beating.
Brooks’ relatives claimed he had not shown fear for his safety while in prison, characterizing him as creative and enthusiastic about the music and stories he was working on.
“We’re going to use our agony to fight for justice so that no one has to watch clips of devastation for 30 minutes at a time or go to the plethora of emotions that I’ve gone through in the last month,” Jared Ricks, the brother of Brooks Jr., said. “We want these killers prosecuted and we want change.”
According to the lawsuit, a watchdog group interviewed prisoners jailed at Marcy in October 2022 and found “rampant abuse by staff” in 2023. The Correctional Association of New York reported physical assaults in areas lacking cameras, including as between gates, vehicles, and showers. According to the complaint, a guard informed a new newcomer that this was a “‘hands-on facility,’ and that if we didn’t like what you were doing, we’d put hands on you.”
Governor Kathy Hochul has directed state officials to begin steps to dismiss personnel involved in the attack. Fifteen correctional officers and two nurses were suspended without pay. One officer quit. Hochul also appointed a new leader for the jail, which is located 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of New York City.
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