New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called for the immediate dismissal of more than a dozen corrections employees in connection with the death of an inmate earlier this month.
In a statement issued Saturday, Hochul ordered Daniel F. Martuscello III, Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner, to begin the termination process for 14 employees “involved in the fatal attack” of 43-year-old Robert Brooks, who died Dec. 10 at a local hospital after a physical altercation with DOCCS officers.
“This action comes after I directed an internal review of the circumstances that lead to this individual’s death,” Hochul said in a written statement. “I once again offer my condolences to the deceased individual’s family and loved ones.”
Brooks was serving a 12-year sentence at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Marcy, a small town a couple miles northwest of Utica in Oneida County, for stabbing his long-time girlfriend in April 2016, according to reporting by the Democrat & Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The New York Attorney General’s Office and the DOCCS Office of Special Investigations were conducting “ongoing reviews of the incident,” Hochul said.
“The vast majority of correction officers do extraordinary work under difficult circumstances, and we are all grateful for their service,” Hochul said. “But we have no tolerance for individuals who cross the line, break the law and engage in unnecessary violence or targeted abuse.”
Brooks was serving a 12-year sentence after being convicted of assault in the first degree and had been in DOCCS custody since March 2017, according to a statement from DOCCS obtained by USA TODAY on Monday. He died around 3:52 a.m. on Dec. 10 after an encounter the previous day with corrections officers.
Brooks pled guilty to first-degree assault, a felony, for stabbing his longtime girlfriend Diana Rivera on April 18, 2016, and was sentenced to 12 years in state prison in 2017.
The couple, who shared a teenage child, were involved in a physical dispute at a residence in the upstate New York town of Greece. It culminated in Rivera being stabbed numerous times in the upper torso with a knife, according to police. He ran from the scene when confronted by neighbors and was later apprehended by local law enforcement.
He originally indicted on a two-count felony indictment including attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault, according to court records. His plea satisfied both charges.
The DOCCS Special Investigations Office has obtained and reviewed video of the incident and plan to make the footage available after Brooks’ family has had the opportunity to view it, according to a Saturday statement from New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
“Law enforcement professionals must be held to the highest standards of accountability, and I am committed to providing New Yorkers with the transparency they deserve,” said James. “On behalf of the Office of the Attorney General, I offer my sincere condolences to Mr. Brooks’ family and loved ones.”
Elizabeth Mazur, an attorney for Brooks’ family, said in a statement obtained by the Times Union over the weekend that the family was “incredibly shocked and saddened to learn about Robert’s killing.”
Martuscello ordered an immediate investigation, following the “use of force by staff at Marcy Correctional Facility” that resulted in Brooks death, a statement from DOCCS reads. The DOCCS declined to offer any additional details about the incident, citing the ongoing investigation.
The official cause of death will be determined and released by the Oneida County Medical Examiner’s Office.
All 14 Marcy Correctional Facility employees, including one nurse, 11 corrections officers and two sergeants, have either been suspended without pay or have resigned pending termination. The investigations are ongoing, and additional suspensions may be issued, if necessary, according to DOCCS.
“This action is in the best interest of the agency and the communities we serve. I denounce their actions in the strongest terms,” said Martuscello. “There is no place for brutality in our department and we will vigorously pursue justice against the individuals who committed this senseless act.”
Contributing: Victoria Freile; Democrat and Chronicle
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gov. Hochul calls for 14 employees’ firing after Robert Brooks’ death
