In New York, ten prison guards have been charged following the fatal beating of a 22-year-old inmate at the Mid-State Correctional Facility. Among them, two guards face murder charges. This marks the second instance this year where correctional officers in New York have been indicted for an inmate’s death. The indictment reveals that several guards severely assaulted the inmate, Messiah Nantwi, leading to his hospitalization and subsequent death on March 1 from massive head trauma and additional injuries.
Additionally, three guards stand accused of attempting to fabricate a story that Nantwi possessed a makeshift knife in his cell. This incident occurred just months after another inmate, Robert Brooks, was fatally beaten at the nearby Marcy Correctional Facility. In Brooks’ case, six guards have pleaded not guilty to murder charges, with more prison employees facing related charges.
The Mid-State facility, near Utica, was embroiled in operational challenges during a three-week wildcat strike by correctional officers. Protesting poor working conditions, guards began an illegal walkout on February 17, prompting the governor to deploy National Guard troops to ensure prison operations continued. Inmates and advocates reported deteriorating services and conditions during the strike.
At their indictment hearing, lawyers for the two guards charged with second-degree murder, Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair, entered not guilty pleas. They also face charges of first-degree manslaughter alongside three other guards. The indictment described the beatings and the delayed medical attention as demonstrating a depraved indifference to Nantwi’s life. Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the incident as a horrific crime, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the death at the hands of officers responsible for inmate protection.
Levi and Blair, part of an emergency response team, were called to Nantwi’s room to assist National Guard members with an unspecified issue. The indictment states that Nantwi raised his hands upon the guards’ arrival but resisted being handcuffed, which led to an altercation. The guards reportedly began assaulting Nantwi with their boots, and the attack escalated when he bit two guards’ hands. Nantwi, after becoming unresponsive, was moved toward the infirmary, assaulted again in a stairwell, and further attacked in a holding cell there.
Six of the ten guards are implicated in Nantwi’s beating. Five of them, including Levi, Blair, Thomas Eck, Craig Klemick, and Daniel Burger, face charges of first-degree manslaughter and first-degree gang assault. All six, including Sergeant Francis Chandler Jr., are charged with second-degree gang assault. The other four guards allegedly participated in a cover-up by falsifying statements or tampering with evidence.
Four of the charged guards held the rank of sergeant. Two, Chandler and David Ferrone, face charges of second-degree manslaughter for reportedly not intervening to stop the assaults. The evidence tampering charge alleges that Chandler ordered a corrections officer to retrieve a weapon from an unrelated incident to falsely implicate Nantwi. Eck allegedly offered to fabricate evidence to authorities.
The state attorney general’s office has recused itself from Nantwi’s case due to its representation of several correctional officers in civil matters, appointing a special prosecutor, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, who is also handling Brooks’ case.
Nantwi, who entered the state prison system in May 2022, was serving a five-year sentence for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon linked to a 2021 exchange of gunfire with police. Previously, Manhattan prosecutors accused him of shooting and killing two individuals in separate incidents in Harlem in April 2023.
The Bigger Picture
This incident underscores significant issues within the New York state prison system, particularly concerning inmate safety and the conduct of correctional officers. The charges against the guards reflect ongoing concerns about accountability and reform within correctional facilities. For the affected communities, such events raise questions about the ethical and humane treatment of incarcerated individuals and the overall effectiveness of the prison system in ensuring safety for both inmates and staff.
Citizens and advocacy groups may push for more stringent oversight and reforms to address these challenges at state-run facilities. The involvement of external law enforcement, such as the National Guard during the strike, highlights the complexities and potential breakdowns in prison operations when staff disputes arise. Furthermore, this situation can lead to increased public scrutiny and calls for legislative action to prevent similar incidents in the future, ultimately impacting public opinion and policy regarding correctional management and inmate rights.
