All 57 members of Buffalo, NY’s Emergency Response Team resigned in “disgust” after two of their fellow officers were suspended for shoving an elderly man to the ground during a George Floyd protest.
Graphic film shot by a cameraman for WBFO News shows Martin Gugino, 75, approach a group of Buffalo police officers and attempt to interact with them.
Two of the officers shoved the elderly man to the ground, causing him to hit his head on the sidewalk.
Blood is seen pouring from Gugino’s right ear as he lay motionless on the sidewalk while the officers callously walked past him.
Gugino, a longtime peace activist from Amherst, was hospitalized at Erie County Medical Center with a concussion.
Two officers were suspended, and NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for the officers to be criminally charged.
“You see that video and it disturbs your basic sense of decency and humanity,” Cuomo said Friday during his daily press briefing on the coronavirus.
“Why, why, why was that necessary? Where was the threat? Older gentleman. Where was the threat? And then you just walk by the person while you see blood coming from his head.”
He added: “I was sick to my stomach… it was the same feeling I had for 90 of the past nights when I got the death tolls for coronavirus. I was physically sick to my stomach.”
WARNING: the video is very graphic. Viewer discretion is advised.
