NYC rally demands justice for Robert Brooks after death in NY prison
HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX 11) -- Prison reform activists rallied in Harlem Saturday, continuing to demand justice for Robert Brooks after his death at Marcy Correctional Facility in December.
The 43-year-old inmate could be seen on body cam footage being beaten by more than a dozen corrections officers before his death.
"Absolutely unacceptable," said Tanesha Grant who attended the rally. "It shows just how systemic racism is still embedded in all of our institutions."
She added, "I'm tired of watching other Black people get murdered on camera."
While 13 of those staff members have been suspended without pay and another staff member resigned, demonstrators said they want the consequences to go even further and are calling for arrests.
Standing outside 125th Street and Seventh Avenue, demonstrators called Governor Kathy Hochul to permanently close the prison and turn it into a memorial designated 'Robert Brooks Park.' They're also pushing for law enforcement officials to charge the 14 staff members involved.
"Arrest them at least for the assault, hold them until you get the medical examiner, then upgrade it to murder," said Donald Curtis of the Unified Black Caucus. "They won't even do that. What they're telling us -- what the system and the State of New York is telling us; we don't care about Black people."
Days after the incident, New York Attorney General Letitia James released the body cam footage showing the shocking scene -- a group of corrections officers kicking and punching Brooks while handcuffed. The results of Brooks’ autopsy have not been made public, but preliminary findings from a medical examination indicate his cause of death as asphyxia due to compression of the neck.
The Attorney General has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the incident. Governor Hochul also directed the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to terminate the individuals involved, including corrections officers, sergeants, and nurses. Many who attended the rally, however, said that's not enough.
"We want accountability," said Khadijah Shakur, who attended the rally. "We want transparency. We want those cops and the nurses to be held accountable."
A spokesperson for DOCCS said Governor Hochul has committed significant resources to the department
to reduce violence, increase accountability and transparency, and ensure nothing like this can happen again.
PIX11 News reached out to the Onondaga County District Attorney’s office inquiring about plans to charge the staff members involved and are still waiting to hear back. We're also waiting to hear back from Governor Hochul's office about any potential plans to close the corrections facility.