By Steve Neavling
The FBI’s Albany Field Office has initiated a review into the death of Robert Brooks, a Marcy Correctional Facility inmate in Oneida County, following an incident involving correctional officers.
“The FBI Albany Field Office and the Department of Justice are reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding the death of Robert L. Brooks to determine the appropriate federal response,” the FBI said in an email to The Hill on Saturday.
The agency emphasized that no further details could be provided due to the ongoing nature of the review.
The statement was issued after the state attorney general released footage showing officers at the New York prison on Dec. 9 engaging in what the Associated Press described as “repeatedly pummeling a handcuffed inmate, striking him in the chest with a shoe, and lifting him by the neck and dropping him.” Brooks died in the hospital the next morning, according to the AP.
The Associated Press also reported that the state attorney general’s office is conducting an investigation into the force used against Brooks.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul addressed the incident in a statement earlier this week, denouncing the violence as “senseless.”
“Like all New Yorkers, I was outraged and horrified after seeing footage of the senseless killing of Robert Brooks,” Hochul said on Friday.
Hochul announced that she had directed an investigation into Brooks’ death and instructed the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel Martuscello to “begin the termination process for the 14 individuals who were involved in his fatal attack.”
She pledged to ensure that those responsible face full accountability.
“Once again, I want to offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Brooks’ family and loved ones as they grieve his tragic death. I am grateful to the Attorney General and her team, our State Police, and everyone working with us to ensure justice is served in this case,” Hochul’s statement concluded.
