Governor Hochul Appoints New Superintendent, Suspends 14 Staff After Fatal Beating of Inmate Robert Brooks

Dec 30, 2024, 10:53 PM

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has taken decisive action following the fatal beating of Robert Brooks, a 43-year-old Black inmate at Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County. Brooks died on December 10, a day after being assaulted by correctional officers while handcuffed. The incident, captured on body-camera footage released by the New York Attorney General's office, showed officers punching, kicking, and dragging Brooks. Hochul visited the facility on December 30, announcing immediate changes including the appointment of a new superintendent, Bennie Thorpe, and the allocation of $400 million for new cameras across the facility. She also ordered the termination of 13 officers and a nurse involved in the attack, with 14 staff members currently suspended without pay. The New York Attorney General Letitia James and the FBI are investigating the incident, with preliminary autopsy findings indicating 'asphyxia due to compression of the neck' as the cause of death. It was noted that four officers involved were wearing body cameras but did not activate them, and at least three of the officers had been previously accused of assault. Protests have erupted in Manhattan, with demonstrators demanding justice and the arrest of those involved in Brooks' death.