Photo: Getty Images
In Syracuse, plea deals have been offered to 10 former prison guards involved in the alleged beating death of inmate Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility. The officers appeared in court on Monday (March 31) to consider the offers, which could allow them to avoid trial. Each officer has two to three weeks to decide whether to accept the plea or proceed to trial.
The incident, captured on body-worn cameras, shows the officers allegedly assaulting Brooks, who was handcuffed, in a medical examination room. He was transferred to a hospital where he died on December 10. An autopsy confirmed his death as a homicide due to "compression of the neck and multiple blunt impact injuries" according to WSYR-TV.
Special Prosecutor Bill Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County District Attorney, confirmed that federal prosecutors are reviewing the case. He suggested that the plea deals could satisfy both state and federal charges. The plea offers include recommendations for sentences in the "low to mid" range of potential penalties as reported by CNY Central.
The case has drawn national attention due to the graphic nature of the video and the severity of the charges, which include murder, manslaughter, and gang assault. Six of the officers face the highest charges of murder. The public and Brooks' family are calling for accountability. Elizabeth Mazur, representing the Brooks family, stated, "These officers were caught red-handed on camera beating Robert to death. It's an open and shut case. They need to take responsibility for their actions" according to Spectrum News.
The officers are expected back in court throughout April to respond to the plea offers. Trials or sentencing will follow based on their decisions.