Bodycam footage of prisoner appearing to be beaten by officers sparks outrage

Disturbing bodycam footage that appears to show a prisoner being beaten by officers before his death has sparked outrage. WARNING: Graphic

Newly-released bodycam footage that appears to show officers allegedly beating a prisoner who later died has sparked outrage.

The disturbing clips, released on Friday, appear to show multiple correctional officers violently assaulting handcuffed prisoner Robert Brooks on December 9.

The 43-year-old was pronounced dead the next morning.

The assault was caught on cameras worn by four of more than a dozen correction officers at the Marcy Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

The footage appears to show a bloodied Brooks being pommeled repeatedly while he sits handcuffed on an examination table, with one officer appearing to strike him in the chest with a shoe and lift him by the neck before dropping him.

Robert Brooks appears to be beaten by officers in this harrowing footage. Picture: New York State Attorney-General's Office

Another prison officer appears to place something in Brooks’ mouth before striking him, as well as another appearing to hit him in the chest and groin.

He died after the alleged assault, with a medical examiner’s preliminary examinations determining that the cause of death was likely “asphyxia due to compression of the neck”.

Brooks also suffered fractured and injuries to his upper body, groin, neck and head, according to Syracuse.com.

It is not clear why he was taken to the prison’s medical facility in the first place or what prompted the incident.

Thirteen prison workers, including two sergeants, ten correction officers and a nurse, were suspended earlier this month pending the outcome of investigations after Brooks’ death.

The clips confirm he was handcuffed during the incident. Picture: New York State Attorney-General's Office

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has since ordered the firing of those who were involved in the incident.

Hochul said she was “outraged and horrified” by videos of the “senseless killing”.

“The state of New York has zero tolerance for individuals who break the law, and I am committed to holding everyone involved fully accountable,” she said.

The bodycam footage confirm the details of the incident that were listed in court documents filed by state police earlier this week, including that Brooks was handcuffed during the alleged beating.

“These videos are shocking and disturbing and I advise all to take appropriate care before choosing to watch them,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said.

“I do not take lightly the release of this video, especially in the middle of the holiday season,” Ms James added.

The disturbing footage has shocked the world. Picture: New York State Attorney-General's Office

“As attorney general, I release these videos because I have a responsibility and duty to provide the Brooks family, their loved ones and all New Yorkers with transparency and accountability.”

The lawyer representing the Brooks family, Elizabeth Mazur, said in a statement that the videos show “the horrific and extreme nature of the deadly attack”.

“He deserved to live, and everyone else living in Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they do not have to live in fear of violence at the hands of prison staff,” she said.

Brooks was serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault and had been transferred to Marcy from the nearby Mohawk Correctional Facility on the same day as the incident.

Brooks was serving a 12 year sentence. Picture: Supplied

The New York Union which represents prison workers said in a statement to local media outlets that what “we witnessed is incomprehensible to say the least and is certainly not reflective of the great work that the vast majority of our membership conducts every day”.

The New York chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union alleged that the incident was “not isolated”.

“Rather, it highlights a culture of violence and a lack of accountability for wrongdoing by corrections officers that puts the lives of incarcerated New Yorkers at risk,” executive director Donna Lieberman said in a statement.