this post was submitted on 28 Dec 2024
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Summary

Footage released by the New York Attorney General shows corrections officers at Marcy Correctional Facility brutally beating handcuffed inmate Robert Brooks on December 9.

Brooks, restrained throughout the 15-minute assault, died the next day, with preliminary autopsy findings citing asphyxia and actions of others as the cause of death.

14 staff members have been terminated or suspended. Some officers failed to properly activate body cameras, violating state policy.

Advocates highlight systemic abuse and racial discrimination in New York prisons, while the investigation continues.

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[–] SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world 96 points 6 days ago (7 children)

I am a former correctional officer of the texas department of justice and this exact same situation happened and I too stood by and listened as it happened. I helped escort the man from his cell to medical. I stood by listening to the other guard talk about how much of his ass he would be kicking. I stood there as they took him into a cameraless backroom and listened as they beat that man handcuffed. I stood to stop it, thoughts of pulling my pepper spray and going in there and just letting loose. A sergeant told me to sit back down and I did. I was not physically overpowered. I sat back down, and I listened. The only difference in this is that my victim didn't die. I reported it afterwards. I reported it to the warden, to the state, to the media. Warden tried to reassign me back under the command of the person I accused in the most dangerous part of the prison. The state sent an investigator but nobody talked but me, not even my victim. I sent everything I had to local media and prison rights groups and heard NOTHING back. No one cared. It happened all the time, it was sanctioned, it happens in every prison in this country. The only difference is that this man died and the countless others did not.

I look at those 14 names and I cannot help but feel I deserve to be on it. I was never punished for my cowardice. I quit, I say ACAB, I tell my story but I was not and never will be punished for my inaction because no one cares about an inmate being beaten by a guard unless he fucking dies.

[–] CascadianGiraffe@lemmy.world 43 points 6 days ago (2 children)

It happened to me decades ago. My PARENTS didn't care.

"Well what did you say to make them so angry?"

I was still a teenager, and cops with guns and nightsticks had to beat me up while I was being processed and wearing handcuffs, all because I was "running my mouth".

ACAB

[–] SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world 20 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Mine didnt either. I walked out of that prison immediately after and called my dad, the person I trusted the most in the world just to have him tell me to go back inside. My heart shattered. In that moment I realized I was truly alone in this situation.

"You — against the atom, the charm and the spin. Where the whole world failed — matter failed to bend to human will; human will failed to get out of bed and tie its laces"

I'm sorry that happened to you. I wish I could be something more than sorry.

[–] CascadianGiraffe@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago

All we can do is try to make things better for the next generations. At least now people are listening. If it weren't for everyone having access to recording devices, we'd never be able to even hope for change.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 10 points 5 days ago (3 children)

My mom had the exact same reaction when I was abused by the cops.

Basically saying I must have done something to deserve it.

ACAB idd.

But some people would rather believe that cops are always innocent than trusting what their children are saying. Fucks with my head so hard

[–] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 6 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

I guess accepting the idea that people in a position of authority can and do abuse that authority with near impunity on a daily basis, to the point of straight up murdering people at random, is too horrifyingly unbearable for some.

"No, I can't really be left at the whims of sadists and the criminally insane by society, it must be the individual's fault."

[–] aphlamingphoenix@lemm.ee 3 points 4 days ago

So... My father is a retired cop who used to abuse the shit out of me and my brother. Used to brag at the dinner table about arresting people for a crime he called "POPO" (that's Pissing Off a Police Officer). He simultaneously won't accept that these actions are abuses of his authority and power. He sees himself as a "good cop" among a majority of "good cops". So he doesn't even recognize his abuse as abusive.

So he doesn't understand why I tell his autistic grandsons not to talk to cops. He doesn't get that autistic people have processing delays and may not be able to understand an instruction, especially when it is being shouted at them in a high stress situation. Or that they may not be able to turn an instruction into the correct body movement. Or they may need clarification on the instruction, or like, just not be bossed around in the first place.

He completely flipped out, as a matter of fact, becoming verbally abusive toward me when I supported my decision with some uncomfortable citations (he had the same look on his face as he used to get when he would beat me, which caused some PTSD flare ups over the following months, but he did not strike, probably because he knew I'd have prosecuted his ass). He wound up on some insane rant about Jesus and God and love. Absolute delusional refusal of the notion that someone might not be a bootlicking sycophant for every cop in the universe by default, or that someone might feel uncomfortable around a person with outsized power and influence over them and a gang of others in the same position a radio call away.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

Yeah, that's sort of it.

But then any pleading from the victim will only make it worse, as it will just stack more blame on them no matter what they say, since the person they're explaining it to can not accept what they're being told.

https://howtobeastoic.wordpress.com/2016/01/19/one-crucial-word/

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[–] minyaen@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 days ago

This will continue because of cowardice, unfortunately. Integrity is one of the only things that separates moral and ethical action. In the moment, groupthink/mob mentality/group mentality led to conformity which is exactly what happened, and is an extreme form of pressure. Regardless of the action/inaction in the moment, integrity was challenged and defeated. One of the only ways this will change is something that will probably not happen due to conformism within the system. You lived how hard it was... your integrity was challenged, and ultimately inaction was the choice that was made resulting in net zero integrity.

As everything in hindsight reveals the truth, the inaction feeds conformity. If it's never challenged, then it evolves into a "norm."

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 5 points 5 days ago

Forgive yourself. You quit. You told the story, possibly innumerable times. Thank you for that.

[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.world 13 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

You do not deserve to be on that list. You are a good person despite your former profession. The fact that you were able to realize how fucked up things were, to leave, to literally put your safety on the line to try to fix it, make you better than most men on this earth.

Thank you. ACAB (but not the ones that quit from the injustice 😉)

Edit- anyone know a guy who can get this guy on the news to talk about this case and how it's endemic to the system?

[–] SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world 19 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Regardless of my feelings after the fact, I do belong on that list. I did not do anything in the moment it was required of me. Part of it is the guilt yes, but I think this feeling mainly stems from the wish that all people involved should face punishment. And if they should, then I should even if I was the only one who reported it, talked about it, didn't commit perjury and continue their crimes against humanity for the sake of fucking health insurance.

Nevertheless I appreciate you. I expected the same vitriol currently being sent towards these people who did the same thing as me in the moment and all I have gotten is a thank you and "your a good person". It's producing emotions hard to process in the PTSD laden state that this news has sent me into but I appreciate the thought and I take it in kind.

As for speaking about it, I am willing to talk to anyone and everyone who'd listen. I just don't think anyone with a platform is listening. I don't think anyone cares. In a day or two another tragedy will occur and the only ones who will care will be those who wish to bury it and the one being buried. So it goes.

[–] CascadianGiraffe@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago

A close friend of mine had to quit the force after a few years. Luckily for him the only thing he dealt with was the guilt of having to put kids in jail for weed. He still feels guilty about it.

Admittedly once I found out he was a cop for a few years I didn't trust him. But after hearing his stories and understanding that he had to leave because he wasn't one of them. He actually went to college and had plans to be a detective but had to give up that entire life plan because he just couldn't handle all the corruption and abuse.

Sucks that you have to continue to suffer because the system was broken. Hope you understand that you (and my buddy) were also victims on some level.

[–] Jrussell@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Reach out to your local FBI field office and tell them you have a potential civil rights case. Hopefully they will do their job.

[–] SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world 26 points 6 days ago (3 children)

I did. They didn't. There's no evidence, no cameras, no one would talk. Not my partner through training, not any of the doctors, none of the nurses, none of the sergeants or lieutenant, not even the inmate. It's like it didn't happen. That's why people say ACAB. Because it is every single fucking one.

[–] OmegaLemmy@discuss.online 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I sometimes wonder if it's a symptom of an extremely individualistic society, would people be more willing if they grew with an ideal bigger than personal wellbeing?

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[–] Jrockwar@feddit.uk 75 points 6 days ago

It's okay. He wasn't a CEO so all good. Not like inmates deserve human rights or anything. /s

[–] TheTimeKnife@lemmy.world 27 points 6 days ago (1 children)

American prisons have been murdering people for decades, despite scandal after scandal, next to nothing has been done about it.

Yet they can move heaven and earth to go after murders of the rich.

[–] Eezyville@sh.itjust.works 11 points 5 days ago

So many Americans believe that the inmates deserve this treatment because they are inmates. There is no compassion for the incarcerated.

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 43 points 6 days ago (2 children)

So what about the warden and his staff. It's not like this culture isn't being condoned or even encouraged at the top level. They are accessories to this and probably many other murders.

[–] SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world 14 points 6 days ago

I am a former correctional officer of the texas department of justice and this exact same situation happened and I too stood by and listened as it happened. I helped escort the man from his cell to medical. I stood by listening to the other guard talk about how much of his ass he would be kicking. I stood there as they took him into a cameraless backroom and listened as they beat that man handcuffed. I stood to stop it, thoughts of pulling my pepper spray and going in there and just letting loose. A sergeant told me to sit back down and I did. I was not physically overpowered. I sat back down, and I listened. The only difference in this is that my victim didn't die. I reported it afterwards. I reported it to the warden, to the state, to the media. Warden tried to reassign me back under the command of the person I accused in the most dangerous part of the prison. The state sent an investigator but nobody talked but me, not even my victim. I sent everything I had to local media and prison rights groups and heard NOTHING back. No one cared. It happened all the time, it was sanctioned, it happens in every prison in this country. The only difference is that this man died and the countless others did not.

I look at those 14 names and I cannot help but feel I deserve to be on it. I was never punished for my cowardice. I quit, I say ACAB, I tell my story but I was not and never will be punished for my inaction because no one cares about an inmate being beaten by a guard unless he fucking dies.

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[–] Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 37 points 6 days ago

Direct link to the videos and names of everyone involved in this lynching:

https://ag.ny.gov/osi/footage/robert-brooks

[–] Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.world 13 points 6 days ago

"Suspended" and "terminated" is a funny way of saying sentenced for murder.

[–] MelonYellow@lemmy.ca 27 points 6 days ago

https://ag.ny.gov/osi/footage/robert-brooks

Link to all the body cams released by the NY State Attorney General

[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 28 points 6 days ago (11 children)
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[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 22 points 6 days ago (2 children)

The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association issued a statement reading, "What we witnessed is incomprehensible to say the least and is certainly not reflective of the great work that the vast majority of our membership conducts every day... This incident has the potential to make our correctional facilities even more violent, hostile, and unpredictable than ever before."

You can take that and shove it up your ass. Fuck every one of these murderers.

[–] StupidBrotherInLaw@lemmy.world 13 points 6 days ago (2 children)

It's incomprehensible and not reflective of our values, despite how it keeps happening across the nation. The only true response is thoughts and prayers.

It sounds just like the United States conservative's standard response to mass shootings: we haven't tried anything and we're all out of ideas!

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[–] SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I am a former correctional officer of the texas department of justice and this exact same situation happened and I too stood by and listened as it happened. I helped escort the man from his cell to medical. I stood by listening to the other guard talk about how much of his ass he would be kicking. I stood there as they took him into a cameraless backroom and listened as they beat that man handcuffed. I stood to stop it, thoughts of pulling my pepper spray and going in there and just letting loose. A sergeant told me to sit back down and I did. I was not physically overpowered. I sat back down, and I listened. The only difference in this is that my victim didn't die. I reported it afterwards. I reported it to the warden, to the state, to the media. Warden tried to reassign me back under the command of the person I accused in the most dangerous part of the prison. The state sent an investigator but nobody talked but me, not even my victim. I sent everything I had to local media and prison rights groups and heard NOTHING back. No one cared. It happened all the time, it was sanctioned, it happens in every prison in this country. The only difference is that this man died and the countless others did not.

I look at those 14 names and I cannot help but feel I deserve to be on it. I was never punished for my cowardice. I quit, I say ACAB, I tell my story but I was not and never will be punished for my inaction because no one cares about an inmate being beaten by a guard unless he fucking dies.

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[–] GiddyGap@lemm.ee 20 points 6 days ago (4 children)

The US is such a backward ass country. The amount of backward ass things that happen on a regular basis in all parts of this society is just too long to list.

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

There's no monetary reason to oversee prisons and LEOs that work there. The goverment is paying a business, or funding a workplace, and any violations will just cost the goverment more money. Creating consequences for police will just cost the goverment more money. There's every reason to ignore this behavior and no reason to create controls and enforce regulations. There was a huge news story about juvenile prisons in TX where child prisoners were being raped a lot, and often. The general reaction to this news in TX was ''they are prisoners, they did the crime'' adults raping children is OK, as long as it's punishment and torture for felons who are also children. Just typing this out makes it all feel like some post apocalyptic fever dream...

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Don't worry, hes not a capitalist just a flithy peasant. They will be rewarded with paid vacation for this.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 5 points 5 days ago

I am a serial killer, I should become a police officer and get suspended for murdering a whole bunch of people

/S, of course

[–] some_designer_dude@lemmy.world 18 points 6 days ago
[–] WhiteRabbit@lemmy.today 19 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (3 children)

This is horrifying. I don't get why this isn't plastered everywhere. It's worse than George Floyd.

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[–] Doom@ttrpg.network 9 points 6 days ago (4 children)

How is this not terrorism?

[–] DougHolland@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago

and state-sponsored terrorism at that!

[–] mercphilby@discuss.online 9 points 6 days ago

Terrorism is against the establishment, not with it.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago

This is just sparkling authoritarianism.

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[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago (1 children)

terminated or suspended

They are being charged with homicide, right?

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[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 6 days ago

Disgusting murderers

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