An African-American man beaten to death in prison, 14 prison officers fired and shocking videos. The asphyxiation death of 43-year-old inmate Robert Brooks throws America into what looks like a new scandal linked to a racist crime.
New racist scandal in the United States? New York State authorities released the videos on Friday, December 27, which they consider “ shocking » et « disturbing » of the violence suffered by an African-American inmate, who died after being beaten by prison officers in a prison in the region, on the night of December 9 to 10.
The image but not the sound
The images, taken from cameras worn by guards, show that the inmate, a 43-year-old man, has a bloody face and receives numerous blows, while he appears to be restrained on an infirmary bed, with at least six men around him. On several occasions he is held firmly by the neck. While the detainee is sitting, handcuffed and visibly injured, an agent puts on a plastic glove and grabs him by the collar with the help of one of his colleagues to pin him against a wall.
READ ALSO: Death of George Floyd: “In France, the police injure a lot, but they kill few”
The circumstances of the event are still unclear: the dialogue between the man and the agents is not available on the recordings, because the men in the penitentiary center had not activated their cameras, which “were running without sound”said the Attorney General of the State of New York, Letitia James, during a press conference on Friday, December 27.
Viewing the images has ” devastated “ relatives of the deceased man, said the family’s lawyer, Elizabeth Mazur. Robert Brooks was serving a 12-year prison sentence for violence. According to the results of a first autopsy cited by the local press, his death was caused by a “asphyxia due to neck compression”.
14 agents sacked
The Democratic governor of New York State, Kathy Hochul, announced last Saturday that she had ordered the dismissal of 14 prison employees involved in the violence. “We have no tolerance for those who cross the line, break the law and engage in unnecessary violence or targeted abuse”she said.
READ ALSO: Police violence: 2020, the year of a shift?
Obviously, these videos of rare violence reminded Americans of the circumstances of the death of George Floyd, an African-American man suffocated under the knee of a police officer during a police check. The affair provoked a huge wave of anti-racist demonstrations throughout the country. “I do not take their broadcast lightly, especially during the holiday season”explained Letitia James, elected Democrat, justifying that they be made public in the name of the “transparency”.
