New York Prison Guards Indicted Following Inmate’s Death
In a significant legal development, ten correctional officers from New York have been charged in connection with the death of Messiah Nantwi, a 22-year-old inmate at the Mid-State Correctional Facility. This case marks the second instance this year where multiple guards in the state have been indicted for a fatality occurring behind bars.
On March 1, Nantwi succumbed to injuries after being subjected to repeated beatings by guards, which allegedly began in his cell and continued even when he was restrained on the infirmary floor, according to the indictment. Among those charged, six officers face accusations of directly assaulting Nantwi, while the remaining four are implicated in a subsequent cover-up, involving false reports and evidence tampering. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
This incident follows the death of Robert Brooks, who was similarly beaten to death at the Marcy Correctional Facility, located near Mid-State. In Brooks’ case, six guards have been charged with murder, maintaining their innocence.
The Mid-State Correctional Facility was grappling with operational challenges due to a three-week unauthorized strike by guards protesting working conditions, prompting the deployment of National Guard troops by the governor. During the strike, complaints arose from inmates and their advocates about deteriorating conditions and insufficient training among guards.
Officers Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair are charged with second-degree murder, with additional charges of first-degree manslaughter against them and three others. Sergeants Francis Chandler and David Ferrone face second-degree manslaughter charges for failing to intervene during the assaults they supervised.
According to the indictment, the emergency response team, including Levi and Blair, was dispatched to Nantwi’s cell following concerns raised by National Guard members. District Attorney William Fitzpatrick noted that while tensions had subsided by the time the team arrived, the officers spent minimal time discussing with the Guard before entering Nantwi’s room. Nantwi reportedly resisted being handcuffed, leading to a violent confrontation where officers used excessive force, continuing even after he became unresponsive.
Nantwi was reportedly assaulted again in a stairwell and in a holding cell at the infirmary, where Blair allegedly continued the attack. The indictment highlights that the body cameras, which guards are required to wear, were either not worn or deactivated during these events.
In the aftermath, guards allegedly conspired at a local diner to fabricate a misleading account of the incident. The cover-up attempt involved planting a confiscated weapon in Nantwi’s room, with Ferrone inadvertently captured discussing the plot on a bodycam left on in the infirmary restroom.
Six additional correctional officers have agreed to cooperate with the investigation, with two pleading guilty to felonies and four to misdemeanors. The ten charged guards have resigned or been suspended, and Governor Kathy Hochul has initiated termination proceedings for those implicated.
Nantwi was serving a five-year sentence for a 2021 incident involving gunfire exchange with police, and prosecutors in Manhattan have accused him of two murders in Harlem earlier this year.
