This archive report was first published on 6 June 2020.
57 Buffalo Police Officers Resign After Shoving 75-Year-Old Protester ¶
On June 5, 2020, a disturbing video emerged of a 75-year-old protester being shoved to the ground by Buffalo police officers during a racial justice protest in Niagara Square.
The incident, which has sparked widespread outrage, led to the resignation of 57 officers from the city's emergency response team.
The protester, identified as Martin Gugino, was hospitalized in serious but stable condition after suffering a head injury.
According to his niece, Megan Toufexis, Gugino had attended the protest to discuss First Amendment rights with police.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown defended the officers, stating that they should receive due process and that the city has a contingency plan in place to ensure public safety.
However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the incident 'wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful,' and urged prosecutors to move 'fairly but quickly' to bring charges against the officers.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office is investigating the incident, and prosecutors have confirmed that Gugino was unable to give a statement to investigators due to his head injury.
