New York’s four prison guards to receive prison terms for the fatal beating of Robert Brooks, whose death raised alarms about U.S. correctional oversight.
Four correctional officers in New York have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the killing of an incarcerated Black man whose violent treatment inside an upstate facility prompted outrage and renewed scrutiny of prison oversight in the United States.
The men were convicted in connection with the December 2023 death of 43-year-old Robert Brooks, who was assaulted while handcuffed at the Marcy Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison near Utica. Body-camera video captured key moments of the incident, helping prosecutors build one of the most significant misconduct cases to emerge from a New York state prison in years.
Two officers, Nicholas Anzalone and Anthony Farina, had initially faced murder charges but pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter weeks before their trial was set to begin. They were each sentenced on Friday to 22 years in state prison.
Two additional officers admitted to second-degree manslaughter. Michael Mashaw received a sentence of three to nine years, while David Walters was ordered to serve two years and four months to seven years.
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Prosecutors presented statements from Brooks’ family during the hearing. His brother, Jared Ricks, wrote that he hoped the four men would experience more humanity in state custody than they showed his brother. Brooks’ son, Robert Brooks Jr., said watching footage of the assault felt like witnessing “a horror film,” urging that the case serve as a warning that incarcerated people must not be dehumanized.
Special prosecutor William Fitzpatrick, the district attorney overseeing the case, said the victims’ statements were read by prosecutors rather than by the family members themselves due to a procedural objection raised by defense attorneys.
The sentencing marks another milestone in a wider set of prosecutions linked to misconduct inside New York’s correctional system. Earlier this year, former guard Christopher Walrath pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a 15-year sentence, becoming the first officer convicted in the Brooks case. Another guard later admitted to attempted evidence tampering and received a conditional discharge.
Meanwhile, a separate trial concluded last month with former officer David Kingsley convicted of murder and first-degree manslaughter in the same incident; he faces a potential life sentence.
Fitzpatrick is also pursuing charges against officers accused in the March 1 death of Messiah Nantwi at the nearby Mid-State Correctional Facility. Eight guards have already taken plea deals, and five more are scheduled to stand trial in March.
Both Marcy and Mid-State prisons are located roughly 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of New York City.
