Photo: Alex Walker / Moment / Getty Images
A 24-year-old Albany man, Emanuel Mackey-Bailey, was sentenced to 13 years and six months in state prison on Thursday (March 26) after pleading guilty to first-degree assault for attacking a 17-year-old boy with a wooden board last September. The incident occurred just before 1 p.m. on Ontario Street near Western Avenue in Albany and was captured by a city surveillance camera, according to the Albany County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Mackey-Bailey ran up behind the teenager, struck him in the head with the board, and continued to hit, kick, and punch him after he was knocked unconscious. Authorities reported that Mackey-Bailey then stole the victim’s keys and cell phone, smashed the phone, and fled the scene. The victim was hospitalized for severe head injuries and continues to face lasting effects from the attack. In a statement read in court, the teenager said, "My sense of safety has still not recovered. I struggle to remember things. I’m constantly afraid that something like this will happen to me again."
Judge William Little, who presided over the case, described the footage as "one of the most brutal videos I’ve ever watched," adding that the 17-year-old was lucky to have survived the assault, as reported by CBS6 Albany. Before sentencing, Mackey-Bailey apologized to the victim, saying he prays for his recovery every day.
In addition to the prison term, Mackey-Bailey will also serve five years of post-release supervision, as confirmed by the Daily Voice. The case highlights the role of city surveillance in securing evidence for prosecution and the ongoing impact violent crime can have on victims.