New York prison inmate allegedly beaten to death by guards

Samuel Harrell, an inmate at New York's Fishkill Correctional Facility, was allegedly killed by a group of officers, according to a detailed report of the incident in The New York Times. Harrell, who was black and had a history of erratic behavior resulting from bipolar disorder, reportedly sparked a confrontation with officers in April when he announced he was going home, although his sentence would not be up until 2020. As many as 20 officers, including a group known by inmates as "the Beat Up Squad," began to punch and kick Harrell while using racial slurs, the report says. An inmate, who was one of dozens to witness the attack, described Harrell's body as being "bent in an impossible position." The officers then either allegedly dragged or threw Harrell down a staircase. Inmates have since reported being threatened and abused by Fishkill officials for reporting what they witnessed.

Corrections officers told medical responders that Harrell had overdosed on synthetic marijuana, although an autopsy revealed that to be untrue. No officers have been disciplined in Harrell's death.

The events at Fishkill, a medium security prison 60 miles north of New York City, are not dissimilar from those reported by inmates at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, where the high-profile escape of two murderers led to reportedly violent interrogations of inmates by their supervising officers.

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