A former New York state prison guard convicted of murder for his role in the brutal beating of an inmate that was captured on body-camera footage was sentenced Friday to 25 years to life in prison.
David Kingsley also received a 25-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction in the case. He is the only former guard convicted of murder in the death of Robert Brooks, who was pummeled by corrections officers on the night of Dec. 9, 2024, at Marcy Correctional Facility. Five other guards charged in the 43-year-old Black man’s death have pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Video footage of Brooks in handcuffs being punched and stomped by guards triggered widespread shock and calls for reform in New York’s prisons. Kingsley was sentenced hours before Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a deal with state lawmakers on prison reforms that include a requirement that cameras be installed in all facilities and that video footage related to deaths behind bars be promptly released to state investigators…