A Maryland father has been charged with murder and child abuse in the death of his 4-month-old son on Saturday.
Khalil Brooks-Clarke apparently called 911 just before 1 a.m. after abusing the child, and police arrived to find the boy, Kairo Brooks, unresponsive, Prince George’s County Police Department said. He was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead.
An autopsy determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma.
According to court documents, Brooks-Clarke was the child’s sole caregiver since his mother had been in jail for three weeks, WJLA reported.
“Detectives spoke with the decedent’s mother,” the documents say. “She stated the defendant did not like it when the baby cried and fussed and would often become frustrated. The defendant in his frustration would record videos on his phone of him shaking the decedent when he would not stop crying.”
“Tragically, in many cases like this, there is never an opportunity for intervention by police or other services before it is too late,” said police chief George Nader. “Infants and children, like Kairo, are among the most vulnerable members of our community and rely entirely on others for their safety and care.”
Following consultations with the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, Brooks-Clarke was charged and is currently held by the Department of Corrections pending a bond review hearing.
Brooks-Clark has been charged with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree child abuse, and additional related charges.
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[Featured image: Khalil Brooks-Clark/Prince George’s County Police Department]
