Two Buffalo police officers have been suspended and charged with second-degree assault after a video appears to show a 75 year old man being pushed to the ground following an encounter with police. In the viral video, Martin Gugino approaches a group of police officers before it appears that he is pushed to the ground. After falling to the ground, Gugino appears to bleed from his ears.
Following the tragic encounter, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown issued a statement regarding the matter. He wrote that Gugino was in “in stable but serious condition” after participating in “illegal demonstration beyond the curfew” that day.
In response to the horrific incident, a number of officers have taken the side of the two suspended officers. As a result, all 57 members of the city’s Emergency Response Team have resigned. Local reporter Hannah Buehler broke the news via Twitter over the weekend.
#BREAKING: I’m told the entire @BPDAlerts Emergency Response Team has resigned from the team, a total of 57 officers, as a show of support for the officers who are suspended without pay after shoving Martin Gugino, 75. They are still employed, but no longer on ERT. @news4buffalo
— Dave Greber (@DaveGreber4) June 5, 2020
“The Union tells me it fully understands their ‘disgust,’” she tweeted.
“‘These officers were simply following orders given by DPC Joe Gramaglia to clear the Square,” she continued.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has also weighed on the matter. After watching the video he told reporters that he felt ill.
“It was the same feeling I’ve had for the past 90 nights when I would get the death total from coronavirus. I would get physically sick to my stomach,” he said.
The two officers charged in the incident, Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe, face up to 7 years in prison. After being charged, they were held without bail, but have since been released.
