On Thursday, a shocking video went viral showing riot police in Buffalo, New York, shoving a non-compliant elderly man, causing him to fall back onto his head.
The video, which has now been viewed over 70 million times, caused an uproar on social media, sparking outrage from both liberals and conservatives on the topic of police brutality and training reform.
Take a look [WARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC FOOTAGE]
This guy is bleeding from his skull and the police have the nerve to tell the media he “tripped” pic.twitter.com/WPjvZNAneo
— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) June 5, 2020
The man, who has yet-to-be-identified, is a 75-year-old activist who was taken to the hospital after the encounter. He has been listed in serious but stable condition. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said the video was “utterly disgraceful.”
“This incident is wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful,” he said. “I’ve spoken with Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and we agree that the officers involved should be immediately suspended pending a formal investigation,” said Cuomo. “Police Officers must enforce — NOT ABUSE — the law.”
According to Fox News, the District Attorney will be investigating the incident while the two cops remain under suspension without pay.
“The Erie County District Attorney’s Office announced earlier in the day that it will be investigating an incident in which two Buffalo, New York police officers were caught on camera shoving a septuagenarian to the ground at a protest on police brutality,” the outlet said.
Initially, the Buffalo Police Department claimed that the man tripped and fell during his encounter with police with no mention that he was shoved. As the controversy heated up on social media, the two officers were suspended. Mayor Byron Brown has since stated he was deeply disturbed by the video.
“Tonight, after a physical altercation between two separate groups of protesters participating in an illegal demonstration beyond the curfew, two Buffalo Police officers knocked down a 75-year-old man,” said the mayor. “The victim is in stable but serious condition at ECMC. I was deeply disturbed by the video, as was Buffalo Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood. He directed an immediate investigation into the matter, and the two officers have been suspended without pay. After days of peaceful protests and several meetings between myself, Police leadership and members of the community, tonight’s event is disheartening.”
New York Civil Liberties Union in a statement said the video displayed a “casual cruelty.”
“The casual cruelty demonstrated by Buffalo police officers tonight is gut-wrenching and unacceptable.” Buffalo Chapter Director John Curr said.”We are in solidarity with Buffalo’s protesters and demand that demonstrators can protest without the threat of police brutality on the streets tomorrow.”
In response, all 57 officers of the Buffalo Police Department’s Emergency Response Team “resigned Friday afternoon in support of two police officers who were suspended without pay after shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground during a protest,” reported Fox News.
“A police union representative told WKBW that the officers were following orders given to them by Deputy Police Commissioner Joe Gramaglia to clear the area and do not believe they were in the wrong,” reported the outlet. “While the members of the emergency response team resigned from their specific roles, they did not resign from the police department altogether and are still employed.”
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