New York Corrections Officers Who Beat A Handcuffed Inmate To Death Have Been Charged With Murder

Posted • February 21, 2025: New York corrections officers involved in the death of inmate Robert Brooks have been charged with murder. Brooks was captured on bodycam being beaten by officers while his hands were cuffed behind his back. "The brutal attack on Mr. Brooks was sickening, and I immediately moved to terminate the employment of those involved," Gov. Kathy Hochul said. "Now, the perpetrators have been rightfully charged with murder and State Police are making arrests." The 43-year-old passed away on Dec 10 at Wynn Hospital in Utica, NY. Brooks was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2017 for first-degree assault. The incident followed a transfer where Brooks had been moved from Mohawk Correctional Facility to Marcy Correctional Facility on December 9. Hochul says an autopsy determined Brooks’s death was a homicide. In court filings, investigators allege findings showed "concern for asphyxia due to compression of the neck as the cause of death," as reported by the New York Times.