The Black Leadership Coalition of Utica (BLC), a collaborative of local Black organizational leaders, condemns the actions that led to the death of Robert Brooks, who died December 10, 2024, the morning after a beating by correctional officers at the Marcy Correctional Facility. Body camera footage released Friday, December 27, showed officers punching, kicking, and stomping on Mr. Brooks, who was handcuffed throughout the attack.
The BLC extends heartfelt prayers and condolences to Mr. Brooks’ family. We cannot begin to grasp the depth of their grief and outrage. We stand with them outraged and in grief that officers sworn to uphold the law have yet again abused their power that led to the unnecessary death of another human being. Their actions have once again thrust the entire profession of Correctional Officers and Law Enforcement into the national spotlight. It is critical that these officers are not only terminated but prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, for the violence and constitutional violations demonstrated on the body camera footage released Friday, December 27, 2024.
The practice of using brutality to terrorize inmates is well documented throughout the New York State prison system. An inordinate amount of inmates can give detailed accounts of being beaten for minor infractions. It has been an open secret for far too long with no accountability. The Correctional Association of New York prison watch group has reported upwards of 60% of inmates reporting abuse from corrections officers.
The BLC of Utica demands a thorough investigation and prosecution of all those involved to the fullest extent of the law concerning the death of Mr. Brooks. We strongly recommend that the special prosecutor in this case do a thorough investigation of the systemic bad acts of correctional officers and other employees in the correctional system throughout the state of New York. We commend the swift actions of New York Governor Kathy Hochul who ordered an immediate investigation into the death of Mr. Brooks and ordered the commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to initiate the termination of the individuals involved in the beating death of Mr. Brooks. We also commend the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James for their swift investigation and release of the body camera footage.
The BLC recognizes that Mr. Brooks was found guilty of a crime in a court of law.
Notwithstanding his conviction he should not be treated as less than a human being. Mr. Brooks’ horrific death forces law enforcement and correctional institutions as a whole to re-examine what steps are taken with respect to recruitment, hiring, training and promotions to ensure the people doing these important jobs will enforce constitutional rights, demonstrate the value of every human life, and have the ability to respect the dignity of every human being. It is critical that those individuals involved are not only terminated but prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The BLC of Utica will closely monitor the developments surrounding how this apparent senseless murder is treated by the judiciary, policy makers, local, state and federal agencies and governments.
In Solidarity,
Rev. Sharon Baugh
The Reverend Sharon Baugh
Executive Vice President, BLC of Utica
