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MARCY, New York (WWNY) – In court documents, New York State Investigator Ryan Paparella described the alleged violent involvement of several corrections officers in an assault of inmate Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility near Utica. Brooks died soon after.
In these court documents, Paparella states body camera footage shows Corrections Officer Nicholas Anzalone carrying Brooks face-down and handcuffed behind his back to the prison’s infirmary. It says in the footage, Anzalone strikes Brooks several times, grabbing him by the neck area of his shirt while other officers assault the inmate.
In more court papers, Paparella says another officer, Robert Kessler, is seen assisting Anzalone in carrying Brooks to the infirmary. While inside, Kessler pushes Brooks into a wall.
According to the documents, Officer Mathew Galliher is also seen inside the infirmary pressing his right hand to Brooks’ chest, pushing him down, and holding him to a bed.
Paparella’s deposition also says the video shows Corrections Officer David Kingsley and Anzalone holding Brooks in an upright position while he bled from his face and later they appear to be using their hands to apply pressure to an unknown part of his upper body.
Corrections Officer Anthony Farina is also named as a person who strikes Brooks in the video.
Multiple others are seen restraining or carrying him at different times.
The documents say medical staff are also seen treating Brooks on an exam table while COs surround him.
Brooks was later taken to Wynn Hospital in Utica where he was pronounced dead.
Preliminary findings from the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s office show Brooks died from asphyxia due to compression to the neck.
Sumeet Sharma, the director of the watchdog group, the Correctional Association of New York, or CANY, says they weren’t surprised.
“We went to Marcy in 2022. 80% of people who we spoke to on that monitoring visit said ‘yes, they had seen or personally been subject to abuse by staff at Marcy,’” said Sharma.
According to one person CANY interviewed, “physical abuse is rampant; the CO told me when I got here, ‘This is a hands-on facility, we’re going to put hands on you if we don’t like what you’re doing.’”
When this was found CANY reported it to the state.
“Actually called in that report for the State Inspector General and DOCCS, Office of Special Investigations to look into and investigate those allegations and violations of human rights,” said Sharma.
Sharma says he doesn’t believe there was a follow-up.
Details regarding the officers’ involvement came from a recent Extreme Risk Protection Order against the officers. The order would allow a search of the Corrections Officers’ persons, homes, and vehicles and would result in the confiscation of their firearms.
That order was declined by a judge.
A hearing was scheduled in the case for January 7.
Court records indicate one officer has already surrendered his department-issued firearm. The body camera footage described is expected to be released by the Attorney General’s Office this week.
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