New York corrections officers charged in death of inmate News
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New York corrections officers charged in death of inmate

Ten New York corrections officers were charged Thursday in the 2024 death of inmate Robert Brooks at a state prison.

Six of the officers, Anthony Farina, Nicholas Anzalone, David Kingsley, Christopher Walrath, Matthew Gallagher and one other officer, have been charged with second-degree murder; three others, Michael Mashaw, Michael Fisher and David Walters, face manslaughter charges. Nicholas Gentile was charged with tampering of evidence.

The 43-year-old inmate was serving a 12-year sentence since 2017 for the April 18, 2016, first-degree assault of his former girlfriend and was recently transferred to the Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County from Mohawk Correctional Facility. On December 9, 2024, Brooks was repeatedly beaten by several corrections officers while his hands were handcuffed behind him. Brooks later died of his injuries the next morning at Wynn Hospital.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James released videos from four officers that captured the incident. The Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office found Brooks to have suffered from bruises, fractures, and hemorrhaging over his genitals and thyroid cartilage as well as the soft tissue and muscles of his neck. There were also signs of asphyxiation. An autopsy report ruled Brooks’ death as a homicide caused by compression to his neck and injuries caused by blunt impact.

In 2023, executive director of the Correctional Association of New York Jennifer Scaife said that a monitoring visit to Marcy Correctional Facility revealed racial discrimination, abuse, and refusal to follow the HALT Act, which prevents inmates who are under 21 or over 55, or who are pregnant or have disabilities from being put into solitary confinement. Correctional officers have criticized the Act, calling it “dangerous” as there’s no means of discipline against misbehaving inmates. Since February, correctional officers have undergone illegal wildcat strikes, protesting for better pay and against the HALT Act.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that the defendants indicted in the killing of Brooks have been rightfully charged and that public safety was her priority. Brooks’ son said the indictments are a “step towards accountability.”

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