Special Prosecutor Appointed in Death of New York Inmate Beaten by Prison Guards

The state attorney general recused her office citing conflicts of interest; the governor calls for swift action following release of disturbing footage.

• New York Attorney General Letitia James has recused her office from investigating the death of Robert Brooks, a state prisoner allegedly beaten by corrections officers, due to conflicts of interest involving her office's representation of implicated guards in unrelated cases.
• Onondaga County District Attorney William J. Fitzpatrick has been appointed as the special prosecutor to lead the investigation into Brooks' death at Marcy Correctional Facility on December 9, 2024.
• Recently released body camera footage shows Brooks, handcuffed and unresisting, being beaten by multiple officers, with one using a shoe to strike him and another forcefully handling his neck; Brooks died the following day.
• Governor Kathy Hochul has removed the prison's interim superintendent, appointed a new leader, and placed 13 corrections officers and a nurse on unpaid suspension, with one officer resigning.
• Preliminary autopsy findings suggest Brooks' death resulted from asphyxia due to neck compression, with further charges against the officers expected as investigations continue.

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