Politics Outrage in the USA: Prison guards beat inmate to death
The brutal mistreatment of a black inmate by white prison guards in the US state of New York is fuelling the debate about excesses of violence and racism in the American prison system. Robert Brooks was beaten with brute force by prison officers almost three weeks ago and declared dead the next day. Video footage of the incident has only now been released by New York's Attorney General Letitia James, sparking widespread outrage.
28.12.2024, 07:50
SDA
Governor Kathy Hochul announced in a statement that she was "appalled and shocked" by the "senseless killing" of the inmate - and ordered the dismissal of 13 prison officers and a medical nurse.
The disturbing scenes of violence were captured by body cameras of the prison officers involved on December 9. That evening, Brooks - sentenced to 12 years in prison for assaulting his ex-partner in 2017, according to media reports - was transferred from another prison to the nearby Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County. According to the investigating authorities, the bodycams were in standby mode at the time of the incident and therefore recorded the events without sound.
Punches, chokehold and a laughing officer
The video footage, which lasts around two hours, shows Brooks being carried into an examination room at the detention center, where several officers push him onto a couch. At this point, he is wearing handcuffs, his hands locked behind his back and is effectively at the mercy of his tormentors.
Among other things, the 43-year-old can be seen being punched in the face several times by a uniformed officer and lying dazed; another drags him up again in a chokehold, a third also hits him with his fist and a shoe. At one point, one of the bulky guards jams his boot first into the man's abdomen and then against his upper body, followed by more blows.
Further scenes show even more of this violence, although the uniformed men beating Brooks all appear to be white. No bystanders intervene, and at least one laughing officer appears to be joking with a colleague. It is impossible to hear what is being said, but Brooks is clearly at least not putting up any resistance, and there are no signs of provocation.
At times the view of the abused prisoner is obscured, then we see his bloodied face, later he lies motionless on his back in only his underpants while a nurse appears to be treating him.
Brooks was pronounced dead in hospital the next morning. According to the investigating authorities, the official autopsy results are still pending. However, initial investigations have shown that Brooks probably died as a result of neck injuries and "external force", it was said. Presumed cause of death: he probably suffocated.
Civil rights activists denounce "culture of violence"
A lawyer for the bereaved denounced that Brooks had been "violently beaten to death by officers whose job it was to ensure his safety". The recordings were difficult for his relatives to bear, but now the public could at least form their own opinion.
The prison officers' union was "stunned" by the documented violence, while the responsible supervisory authority announced "institutional reforms". Civil rights groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called for energetic steps to be taken against the "culture of violence" and irresponsibility in New York prisons - the abuses at Marcy Prison have been known for years.
In fact, an independent investigative report by the Correctional Association of New York (CANY) in October 2022 found that mistreatment by prison guards and racial discrimination were commonplace at Marcy, according to inmates. According to the New York Times, most of the inmates are black and Latino, but more than 90 percent of the staff are white.
CANY director Jennifer Scaife said after viewing the video footage that it was "just disgusting" that some of those involved appeared amused while Brooks was being beaten to death in front of them.
