Four Guards Sentenced After Bodycam Captures Fatal Beating of Inmate Robert Brooks

Four correctional officers who were shown on body-worn camera footage beating an incarcerated man at the Marcy Correctional Facility in upstate New York have been sentenced to prison, following guilty pleas in the case.

In September—about two weeks before a scheduled trial—Nicholas Anzalone and Anthony Farina pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter after originally facing murder charges; each was sentenced to 22 years behind bars. Two other officers, Michael Mashaw and David Walters, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and received shorter terms: Mashaw was sentenced to three to nine years, and Walters to two years, four months to seven years.

The victim, 43-year-old Robert Brooks, had been serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault since 2017 and was transferred to Marcy from a nearby facility the night he was beaten. Bodycam footage released in the wake of the incident showed Brooks—restrained and handcuffed—being struck in the chest with a shoe, lifted by the neck and dropped, injuries that later proved fatal.

At the sentencing hearing, prosecutors read impact statements from Brooks’ family. Jared Ricks, Brooks’ brother, urged that the four defendants be shown more mercy if they themselves become incarcerated than they showed his brother. Brooks’ son, Robert Brooks Jr., said watching the footage felt like watching a horror movie and wrote, “I pray this case teaches others that they can’t treat incarcerated people like animals.”

“I pray this case teaches others that they can’t treat incarcerated people like animals.” — Robert Brooks Jr.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, the special prosecutor on the case, told the court the two family members who submitted written statements were not allowed to read them aloud after objections from the defendants’ attorneys. Fitzpatrick said the problem stemmed from required paperwork that had not been filed in time.

This case is one of several arising from violent incidents at state correctional facilities in the region. In an earlier plea, Christopher Walrath—another officer charged with murder—pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years after resigning his post. Another officer pleaded guilty to attempted tampering with physical evidence and received a one-year conditional discharge.

Separately, a recent trial of three other guards resulted in a mixed verdict: David Kingsley was convicted of murder and first-degree manslaughter and now faces a possible life sentence at his upcoming sentencing, while Mathew Galliher and Nicholas Kieffer were acquitted. A fifth guard, Michael Fisher, is scheduled to stand trial in January on a second-degree manslaughter charge.

Prosecutors are also handling a related case stemming from the March 1 fatal beating of Messiah Nantwi at the Mid-State Correctional Facility. Eight guards in that matter have reached plea agreements and five others are scheduled for trial, with two of those defendants charged with murder.

Marcy and Mid-State correctional facilities are both located in upstate New York. The recent convictions and sentences have renewed calls for review and reform of correctional practices, transparency around use-of-force incidents, and accountability for staff misconduct.