ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The family of Robert Brooks, the Greece man who died after being beaten in a medical exam room at Marcy Correctional Facility, is honoring his memory and calling for change.
His family organized a balloon release at Cobbs Hill Park on Sunday, a day before what would have been his birthday. Mary Brooks, Robert’s mother, expressed gratitude for the support, saying, “I really thank everyone for coming out, and showing how important and what I mean to them and him. I hate that he left the way he did, but it’s in God’s plan,” she said.
“I know he’s not getting hurt anymore, not getting beat anymore, so, can’t nobody hurt him anymore,” Mary Brooks said. “But yeah, I have my days where I’m good, and my days where I’m not so good.”
Robert Brooks’ son, Robert Brooks Jr., appreciated the turnout from across the state. “Everyone’s not from Rochester that’s here, it’s some people from Utica, from Syracuse, from Buffalo. So just having everyone come together it just means the world to me and I wouldn’t want it no other way,” he said.
A group of motorcyclists also paid tribute with a display of revving engines.
Brooks Jr. expressed hope for change following his father’s death. “Anyone who has any power in making changes to the system, that we just want change and we just want to be able to make sure that no one can just beat up another person and kill them to death without any serious consequences,” he said.
Brooks Jr. mentioned that his family is working to pass a law in honor of his father to increase accountability for corrections officers, though he couldn’t share many details.
Bodycam footage shows guards beating Brooks in a medical exam room in December and he died in the hospital the next day. Ten former corrections officers have been indicted in Robert Brooks’ death. Six face murder charges, three are charged with manslaughter, and one is charged with evidence tampering.
Christopher Walrath, one of the guards, pleaded guilty to manslaughter this month and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Michael Fisher and David Walters, two of the indicted guards, have a trial date set for Oct. 6. They face charges of manslaughter.
AI assisted with the formatting of this story. Click here to see how WHEC News10NBC uses AI
The post Family of Robert Brooks calls for change at memorial to mark his birthday appeared first on WHEC.com.
