New footage shows the actions of officers in the fatal beating of Robert Brooks, who died in custody in a New York prison.
Body camera footage recorded December 9th shows officers at Marcy Correctional Facility in New York punching and kicking Robert Brooks while he is handcuffed in a medical examination room.
Brooks died on December 10th following the beating. He was serving a prison sentence for first-degree assault that started in 2017.
RELATED STORY | 'Deeply troubling': Body camera footage released in deadly police shooting of Ohio teen
The footage, released Friday by New York Attorney General Letitia James, showed Brooks with his arms handcuffed behind his back. Officers surrounded Brooks' bed and at one point used a shoe to beat him. Brooks can be seen sitting on the bed with blood on his face after the beating.
The videos are silent because none of the officers had deliberately activated their cameras.
A preliminary medical examination after Brooks' death showed "concern for asphyxia due to compression of the neck as the cause of death." The results of a formal autopsy have not yet been published.
Earlier this month, New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered more than a dozen people fired for their involvement in the beating. Those to be fired include correctional officers, sergeants and a nurse.
“The vast majority of correction officers do extraordinary work under difficult circumstances, and we are all grateful for their service,” Hochul said in a statement. “But we have no tolerance for individuals who cross the line, break the law and engage in unnecessary violence or targeted abuse.”
James' office is investigating the incident. It is not yet known if any of those involved will be charged with crimes.
