When Robert Brooks pleaded guilty in 2016 to stabbing his former girlfriend upstate, he received a 12-year prison sentence, but instead received the death penalty because he died after a brutal beating at the hands of a group of state correctional officers who were supposed to be guarding him , don’t kill. It certainly appears to have been a crime and anyone involved must be brought to justice.

Governor Hochul has already ordered the firing of 14 people, and Attorney General Tish James yesterday released several officers’ silent bodycam video showing the ongoing attack on Brooks, who was handcuffed and wearing leg irons.

The video shows Brooks being punched, kicked and grabbed around his neck. He is punched in the face, torso, legs and even hit with his own shoe. Brooks doesn’t fight back (since his hands and feet are tied) and doesn’t even fight back against the abuse.

Even the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents the guards, said: “What we have seen is incomprehensible to say the least and certainly does not reflect the great work that the vast majority of our members do every day . “What emerged is the opposite of everything NYSCOPBA and its members stand for.”

They added: “This incident not only endangers our entire membership, but also undermines the integrity of our profession. “We cannot and will not tolerate this behavior.” This is as clear as any other indication, but from all descriptions and sources so far it seems this beating was completely unjustified.

According to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s online search, Brooks was scheduled to have his first parole hearing in 2026 and his full 12 years expired on April 13, 2028. His Department Identity Number 17B0640 now shows his “custody status” to be “DIMISSED” several years earlier. Its release date/type is December 10th and “DECEASED”.

Brooks, who was 43, had the right to serve his sentence and leave prison when his term was up, not the right to leave in a coffin.

It’s not their job to punish prison guards, despite what some people might think. Their job is to maintain order and ensure that those cared for in the facility serve their sentences, which means protecting them from dangers such as other inmates, environmental hazards and disease. Protecting inmates from officers shouldn’t be mandatory, but it is.

The only thing that can ever truly prevent such circumstances from occurring again is responsibility. The men who beat Brooks (as the video shows) are being investigated by James, state police and the Department of Corrections’ Office of Special Investigations. It’s hard to see how the beating could be justified.

Without the body camera video, we wouldn’t know anything except that Brooks died. As we have said many times, memories can be blurry or forgetful in many circumstances, but images do not change. Videos and photos can exonerate the innocent as well as accuse the guilty. That certainly seems to be the case with the death of Robert Brooks.