Beating death of Marcy prison inmate Robert Brooks ruled a homicide

The death of a antheral brutally beaten by corrections officers astatine an upstate New York situation precocious past twelvemonth has been ruled a homicide successful an autopsy, lawyers for his household said Wednesday.

Robert Brooks, a 43-year-old Black man, was punched, kicked, choked and manhandled by aggregate officers portion helium was handcuffed connected a aesculapian introspection array astatine Marcy Correctional Facility connected Dec. 9, body camera video shows.

He was pronounced dormant the adjacent greeting astatine a infirmary successful Utica.

Body camera footage shows officers beating inmate Robert Brooks astatine the Marcy Correctional Facility successful Oneida County, NY connected December 9th. Brooks died of his injuries the pursuing day. (NY Attorney General)

According to a study issued by the Onondaga Medical Examiner’s Office past week, the origin of decease was compression of the cervix and aggregate blunt interaction injuries. The mode of decease was determined to beryllium a homicide, the family’s lawyers said.

“I deliberation what this does is regularisation retired immoderate statement that determination was immoderate different origin of decease different than what we saw connected video,” household lawyer Stephen Schwarz said.

In a connection released done Elizabeth Mazur, who’s portion of the squad representing the family, Brooks’ loved ones added that the “autopsy study [confirmed] what was already clear: Robert Brooks’s convulsive decease was a homicide.”

Early successful January, Attorney General Letitia James recused herself from the case and named Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick arsenic a peculiar authoritative to analyse Brooks’ death.

A expansive assemblage volition perceive grounds successful the case.

On Tuesday, the Rochester Police Accountability Board organized an lawsuit astatine East High School successful Rochester designed to item the request for constabulary accountability and transparency.

The lawsuit — “How Many More? A Call for Change, Action, and Accountability” — brought unneurotic dozens of assemblage members, including Brooks’ father, Robert Ricks, according to section NBC affiliate WHEC.

“My anticipation is [people] tin spell to jailhouse and travel retired amended than they were erstwhile they went in,” helium said astatine the meeting.

Brooks was serving a 12-year condemnation for stabbing his woman successful 2016.

Marcy Correctional, a medium-security installation lodging conscionable implicit 800 inmates, is located successful Oneida County, astir 7 miles westbound of Utica.

With News Wire Services