Camden County Inmate Edward Brooks is Beaten to Death
Edward D. Brooks of Newark, Delaware, was an inmate at New Jersey’s Camden County Correctional Facility when he was repeatedly punched by a fellow inmate at approximately 1:00 p.m. on June 12. Mr. Brooks was discovered unresponsive in his cell the next morning. He was pronounced deceased about an hour later at approximately 9:00 a.m. at Cooper University Hospital on June 13, 2025.
A jail video shows that 29-year-old inmate Shaquan Shields beat 44-year-old Edward Brooks to death. Mr. Shields has been charged with second-degree manslaughter.
The address of Camden County Correctional Facility is 1656 Kaighn Avenue, Camden, NJ 08103. The jail’s inmate capacity is 1,083.
How Common are Deadly Jail Assaults?
When inmates die in U.S. jails, it is crucial to begin investigations immediately. If any type of violence, jail neglect, abuse, or medical neglect contributes to an inmate’s death, the jail can and should be held responsible. In past eras, it was often difficult to uncover the truth about violent acts inside the walls of local correctional facilities. Since video cameras have been increasingly installed in jails, truth can more often be discovered. The frequency of occurrences of jail violence is a disturbing reality.
The following are stories posted online alleging that jail inmates have died because of violence perpetrated by either guards or fellow inmates:
- In news out of Duval County in San Diego, Texas, 41-year-old Eric Perez of Benavides, Texas, died in the custody of Duval County Jail on June 19, 2025. His death occurred at Spohn Hospital in Alice, Texas, a day after he was booked into Duval County Jail. The Duval County Sheriff’s Department denies the family’s claim that Mr. Perez was beaten while he was still handcuffed, though the sheriff’s office acknowledges that Mr. Perez experienced a “medical episode.” The address of 401 E Collins Ave, San Diego, TX 78384. The jail has a 48-bed capacity.
- Forty-eight-year-old Robert Parker died in the custody of Bexar County Jail on Thursday, June 19, 2025, after being taken off of life support. Officials say that 45-year-old inmate Tommy Lucero assaulted Mr. Parker inside his cell on June 2, 2025. Initially, Mr. Parker was found unresponsive and taken to a hospital. The death of Robert Parker is being investigated as a homicide, though his cause of death will ultimately be determined by the medical examiner. The address of Bexar County Jail aka Bexar County Adult Detention Center is 200 N Comal St, San Antonio, TX 78207.
- The Cook County Sheriff’s Department announced that an inmate had been beaten to death inside Cook County Jail on the morning of August 8, 2023. The statement asserted that 29-year-old Johnny Hendrix was attacked by another inmate inside the hospital wing of the Chicago jail. The family has accused the jail of knowingly placing Mr. Hendrix in a cell with a man with a history of violence toward other inmates. The address of Cook County Jail is 2700 S. California Ave, Chicago IL 60608. The jail has inmate capacity of 10,607.
- Shawn Michael Slavens was arrested and booked into Oklahoma County Jail on June 24, 2022. He was then placed into a cell with an inmate with a history of assaults. The cellmate, Alfred L. Means, admitted to the violent attack, saying that he also stomped on his fellow inmate’s head. Mr. Means was charged with first-degree murder or second-degree murder in the alternative. The address of the Oklahoma County Jail aka Oklahoma County Detention Center is 201 North Shartel Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102. The jail’s inmate capacity is 2,890.
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