A state corrections officer in glasses, with a baseball cap worn backwards, delivers brutal punches to a handcuffed prisoner, causing injuries while a camera captures the violence. The disturbing scene unfolds as other officers join in, inflicting more harm on the prisoner. The cold choreography continues as the officers strip the inmate and leave him in his underwear. The video shows the officers’ callousness as they show little regard for the prisoner’s well-being.
The victim, Robert Brooks, a Black man serving time for a previous crime, tragically passed away following the incident. The introduction of body cameras in the prison failed to prevent this violent act, raising questions about accountability and the officers’ actions. The aftermath of Brooks’ death has sparked investigations and calls for justice.
The use of body cameras in this case has highlighted the need for greater oversight and transparency within the prison system. The footage has shocked many and raised concerns about the treatment of inmates. The incident has prompted a closer look at the practices and procedures within the corrections department, as well as a discussion on ensuring the safety and dignity of prisoners.
The untimely death of Robert Brooks serves as a somber reminder of the importance of holding those in power accountable and working towards a system that prioritizes justice and fairness for all individuals, regardless of their circumstances.
The Rochester Police Accountability Board organized an event titled “A Call for Change, Action, and Accountability” held at East High School on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. This event was in response to the tragic death of Robert Brooks, a Black man from Greece, who passed away after a brutal beating by white corrections officers at Marcy Correctional Facility on Dec. 9, 2024. Disturbing images from the Marcy infirmary have exposed a prison culture characterized by racism, cover-ups, and a mentality of us-against-them that justifies abuse, with the tacit approval of prison leadership.
The event shed light on the behaviors that inmates, their families, attorneys, advocates, and news organizations like The New York Times and The Marshall Project have documented over the years. Following Brooks’ death, DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello initiated an investigation into the assault and issued a directive regarding body-worn cameras, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy towards violence.
Subsequent actions included the suspension of several officers and the resignation of one, as well as the replacement of the prison’s superintendent. The state Attorney General’s Office launched a criminal inquiry, subsequently handed over to the Onondaga County prosecutor’s office due to a conflict of interest. Governor Kathy Hochul proposed various initiatives in response to the incident, including increased funding for additional cameras. Protests ensued in Rochester and Brooklyn, with calls to shut down Marcy.
Despite these measures, questions remain about whether they will be sufficient to bring about a meaningful change in prison culture and hold officers accountable for their actions. Governor Hochul expressed shock at the incident and emphasized the intolerable nature of the behavior. The incident at Marcy has raised concerns about the regular abuse that may be occurring in New York prisons and the need for significant reforms.
Overall, the call for change, action, and accountability highlights the urgent need to address systemic issues within the prison system and ensure the safety and dignity of all individuals involved.
“The video was distressing to see, and unfortunately, it was not surprising,” stated Jennifer Scaife, the executive director of the Correctional Association of New York, a nonprofit organization that investigates conditions in state prisons. Their report in July 2023 exposed numerous issues at Marcy prison, such as Black inmates being denied access to the mess hall for wearing cornrows or braids. One inmate mentioned, “Physical abuse is widespread; the correctional officer informed me upon arrival, ‘This is a hands-on facility, and we will use force if we disapprove of your actions.'”
Over the last two decades, civil rights attorney Katie Rosenfeld has filed multiple lawsuits against the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) for mistreatment of inmates at Marcy and other facilities. “The leadership may act shocked now, but this abuse has been a longstanding problem within DOCCS, and they have turned a blind eye to it,” said Rosenfeld from the New York City law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel. Several of the suspended officers from Marcy have been implicated in lawsuits brought by other inmates.
Robert Brooks Jr. and Jared Ricks, the son and brother of Robert Brooks who died in December 2024 at Marcy Correctional Facility following a beating by officers, spoke at a press conference on January 15, 2025. Adam Bauer, another inmate at Marcy, represented by Rosenfeld, claims that in February 2020, Anzalone, one of the officers involved in Brooks’ beating, along with other officers, assaulted him after catching him smoking in a prison bathroom. Bauer stated that Anzalone falsely accused him of self-inflicting the injuries to his head.
A 2023 lawsuit by civil rights attorney Amy Jane Agnew alleges that Marcy officers retaliate against inmates by subjecting them to assaults during van rides when they are alone with the officers. The lawsuit claims, “Security officials have been aware of these ‘van rides’ for years yet have allowed them to persist as a means of behavior control.”
Brooks joins a list of state inmates who have died after confrontations with New York prison guards in recent years, including Samuel Harrell, Karl Taylor, Dante Taylor, and Terry Cooper, among others. Their alleged beatings were not captured on video. Seeking justice for victims convicted of severe crimes like rape and murder can be challenging, as these crimes are unlikely to generate sympathy from juries.
Darlene McDay, the mother of Dante Taylor, decided to file a lawsuit against officers at Wende Correctional Facility for their actions against her son. Taylor tragically took his own life in an infirmary cell at Wende on October 7, 2017, after reportedly being brutally beaten by officers the day before. The lawsuit claims that prison staff disregarded signs of his suicidal intentions.
Taylor’s death occurred while his legal team was appealing his life without parole sentence for
“Of course, 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.
