A former Marcy Correctional officer, Christopher Walrath, 36, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the 2023 killing of Robert Brooks, a 43-year-old Black inmate.
Walrath pleaded guilty in May to first-degree manslaughter, admitting he placed Brooks in a chokehold and repeatedly struck him in the body and groin.
Brooks had just been transferred from Mohawk Correctional Facility on Dec. 9, 2024. Within hours of arrival—and while handcuffed and seated in a medical exam room—he was beaten by multiple officers. Prosecutors say Brooks was compliant and posed no threat. He died the next morning from blunt force trauma and neck compression.
Special prosecutor William Fitzpatrick described the attack as Brooks’ “Welcome to Marcy,” emphasizing the lack of any provocation.
Footage released by the New York Attorney General’s Office shows officers punching and kicking Brooks while others stood by.
Brooks, who was serving a 12-year sentence for a 2017 assault conviction, had been scheduled for release in 2026. His son delivered an emotional statement in court:
“You treated him as if his life had no value… I’m not OK and I never will be.”
Six other officers still face charges, with trials set for October.
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