In a disturbing display captured on body camera footage, a state corrections officer with glasses and a backward baseball cap mercilessly delivers vicious blows to a handcuffed prisoner. Over several agonizing minutes, the officer repeatedly punches the prisoner in the face, causing blood to flow from his nose and mouth while the camera records each hit. A cruel choreography unfolds as other officers join in, delivering blows to the stomach and a kick to the groin, while some stand by with emotionless faces. One officer casually removes a bloodied medical glove at a sink, washing away the evidence. The inmate is violently thrown against a wall, a white towel shoved into his mouth, and his prison-issued clothing stripped off, leaving him in his underwear. As the prisoner appears to lose consciousness, an officer checks his responsiveness by rubbing his sternum. The fluorescent lighting in the room reveals every face, all white, enabling a former investigator to identify each officer involved. The inmate, Robert Brooks, a 43-year-old Black man from a Rochester suburb serving time for a 2016 stabbing, tragically passes away the following day at a nearby hospital. The introduction of body cameras at the Marcy prison, just eight months prior to the incident, presents a new layer of complexity. While the cameras did not capture audio of the assault, they would have if activated, according to expert Ian Adams from the University of South Carolina. The cameras, equipped with a feature allowing retrieval of recorded snippets up to 18 hours later, even without activation, raise questions about transparency and accountability. Amidst the aftermath of Brooks’ death, the circumstances leading to his transfer to Marcy, the officers’ extreme reaction, and the possibility of criminal charges loom large. The Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office has classified Brooks’ death as a homicide, further intensifying the scrutiny. The unsuspecting officers, unaware that their supposedly deactivated body cameras were recording, now face the repercussions of their actions.
The Rochester Police Accountability Board hosted an event titled “Call for Change, Action, and Accountability” at East High School on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. The event was organized in response to the tragic death of Robert Brooks, a Black man from Greece, who was fatally beaten by white corrections officers at Marcy Correctional Facility on December 9, 2024. This incident shed light on a prison culture marred by racism, cover-ups, and a harmful “us-against-them” mentality that justifies abuse in the name of maintaining order, with the complicit approval of prison leadership.
The distressing images from the Marcy infirmary revealed the type of misconduct that inmates, their families, attorneys, advocates, and media outlets like The New York Times and The Marshall Project have been documenting for years. Following Brooks’ death on December 18, 2024, DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello addressed the investigation into the assault and mandated the use of body-worn cameras, stating that violence is not acceptable, and emphasizing the importance of ethical conduct, respect for individuals, and upholding human dignity.
Subsequently, a number of officers and staff members were suspended or resigned in connection with the incident, and a criminal investigation was initiated by the state Attorney General’s Office. Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed various initiatives in response to the scandal, including increased funding for additional cameras. Protests have erupted in Rochester and Brooklyn, as well as outside the prison, with calls to shut down Marcy. While the officers’ union defended the majority of its members, there are doubts whether these measures will be enough to foster lasting change in prison culture and hold officers accountable for their actions.
Hochul expressed her dismay at the video footage of the incident, emphasizing the need for accountability and swift action. This incident has brought to light longstanding allegations of abuse at Marcy Correctional Facility, prompting a reevaluation of the state’s approach to prison oversight and reform efforts.
Jennifer Scaife, the executive director of the Correctional Association of New York, expressed her distress upon viewing the video and remarked that sadly, it was not unexpected. The nonprofit organization investigates conditions at state prisons and their July 2023 report shed light on various issues at Marcy prison, such as Black inmates being denied access to the mess hall for wearing cornrows or braids. The report quoted an inmate who mentioned the prevalence of physical abuse and recounted a correctional officer warning about the facility’s hands-on approach.
Civil rights attorney Katie Rosenfeld has been involved in multiple lawsuits against the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) over the mistreatment of inmates at Marcy and other facilities. Rosenfeld criticized the leadership for allowing abuse to persist within DOCCS despite their claims of shock. Some of the suspended officers at Marcy have faced legal action from other inmates.
The tragic case of Robert Brooks, who was killed in December 2024 at Marcy Correctional Facility, has garnered attention. His family members, Robert Brooks Jr. and Jared Ricks, spoke out about the incident during a press conference. Rosenfeld represents Adam Bauer, another Marcy inmate who alleges mistreatment by officers, including one who was involved in Brooks’ fatal beating.
Another lawsuit filed by civil rights attorney Amy Jane Agnew in 2023 accuses Marcy officers of retaliating against inmates by subjecting them to assaults during van rides. The lawsuit highlights the administration’s knowledge of these incidents and their failure to address them.
The deaths of inmates like Samuel Harrell, Karl Taylor, Dante Taylor, and Terry Cooper following altercations with New York prison guards underscore the ongoing issue of abuse in the corrections system. The challenges of seeking justice for victims convicted of serious crimes are also noted, as these individuals may struggle to garner sympathy.
Darlene McDay, the mother of Dante Taylor, who took his own life in prison, filed a lawsuit against Wende Correctional Facility staff for their alleged role in her son’s death. The lawsuit accuses the prison staff of neglecting warning signs of Taylor’s suicide and inflicting severe injuries on him prior to his death. McDay criticized the justice system for its inhumane treatment of incarcerated individuals and emphasized the need for accountability and recognition of inmates’ humanity.
“That he self-inflicted those injuries by smashing his own face on the floor of the cell,” Rosenfeld said. McDay has monitored developments in the Brooks’ investigation but can’t bring herself to watch the body camera images. “If I even start to see that video, I picture my son,” McDay says. “It’s something that’s so traumatizing because the way I see it is that is what happened to my son that night.” The DOCCS Office of Special Investigations determined that officers had “engaged in excessive force/assault of Dante Taylor the day before his death,” according to a department spokesperson. Federal prosecutors ultimately chose not to pursue criminal charges, saying the evidence was inconclusive and insufficient, the spokesperson noted. Q&A with USA TODAY’s Zambito: Video of inmate’s beating death leads to calls for NY change. Attorney Luna Droubi said she confronted similar challenges in her bid to hold officers accountable for the death of Samuel Harrell and others assaulted by officers at Fishkill Correctional Facility. In Harrell’s case, officers said he died of an overdose, but a witness told Droubi he watched as Harrell’s body was thrown down a stairwell, she said. Manhattan federal prosecutors and the Dutchess County District Attorney decided against bringing criminal charges in 2017, citing the absence of video that could have corroborated the claims, according to a statement made to the New York Times at the time. “I’m haunted by the Sam Harrell case because each of these individuals who were at a low point in their lives were not being seen as humans,” Droubi said. “It’s like their life meant less and nobody seemed to care.” Thomas C. Zambito covers energy, transportation and economic growth for the USA Today Network’s New York State team. He’s won dozens of state and national writing awards from the Associated Press, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Deadline Club and others during a decades-long career that’s included stops at the New York Daily News, The Star-Ledger of Newark and The Record of Hackensack. He can be reached at tzambito@lohud.com. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Deadly beating captured on body camera exposes flawed prison culture.
