On Monday (Dec. 31), Meek Mill took to Twitter to express his thoughts after watching bodycam footage connected with Robert Brooks’ death in a New York prison. The 43-year-old Brooks was serving a 12-year sentence at Marcy Correctional Facility for felony assault. “I never fully watched this till today,” Meek wrote. “This [is] what it is for Black men in America if you get caught without them cameras around! If you've been to jail [before], you’ve seen this with your own eyes!”
The footage, which surfaced Dec. 27 and was recorded Dec. 9, showed Brooks, handcuffed with his hands behind his back, being repeatedly punched, kicked and struck with a shoe by multiple staff in a medical examination room. At one point, he was lifted by the collar and held off the ground before being left motionless on a hospital bed. Audio from the footage was removed, making it unclear what led to the assault or the exchanges between all parties. He died of asphyxia a day after the violent attack.
As REVOLT previously revealed, four of the guards named in the incident were accused of prisoner abuse in a 2022 lawsuit filed by inmate William Alvarez, who referred to them as part of a “beat-up squad.” That filing detailed a violent encounter that left him with a bloodied face and a severe head injury.
On Tuesday (Dec. 31), TMZ shared the annual salaries of the staff members under investigation, which included eight of the 14 individuals making six figures. Among the highest earners were Sgt. Glenn Trombly at $149,185 and officer David Kingsley II at $147,745. Since the tragic incident, 13 employees were suspended without pay, while one, officer Anthony Farina, resigned. Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the incident, stating, “New York has zero tolerance for individuals who break the law, and I’m committed to holding everyone involved fully accountable.” She also ordered the termination of all involved officers and called for immediate action from the Department of Corrections.