In New York, police officers were punished for cruelty to protesters: their colleagues quit in protest

Two police officers in Buffalo, NY have been charged with intentional bodily harm. The reason for this was that they allegedly pushed an elderly man during the protests, which led to a fall and injuries. In response to such a reaction of the authorities, all employees of the unit of the accused resigned, writes with the BBC.

During a virtual court hearing on June 5, Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe pleaded not guilty and were released under an obligation to appear in court on July 20.

After the video of the incident spread on social networks, they were suspended from duty during the investigation without saving their salaries.

State Governor Andrew Cuomo said that Torgalski and McCabe need to be kicked out of the police, and according to the results of the investigation, they may be prosecuted.

All 57 employees of the quick reaction detachment, in which Torglaski and McCabe served, filed dismissal reports in protest. They left a particular unit, and not generally from the police service.

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“Our position is that these officers were following the order of Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia to clear the area. They were just doing their job. I don't know what kind of physical contact took place. I'm guessing the man slipped and fell on his back, ”said John Evans, chairman of the local police union.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown issued a statement: “We are taking the necessary steps to keep the police services running smoothly and to ensure public safety in our city.”

What happened

On June 4, about 20 protesters rallied against the killing of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota by police at Niagara Square.

The video that appeared on social networks shows that a gray-haired man is rapidly moving towards a walking policeman in uniform and obviously trying to argue with them. He is pushed into the chest, after which he abruptly steps back, stumbles, falls backward, hits the back of the head and lies motionless, while the policemen pass by.

Later it turned out that the victim’s name is Martin Gugino, he is 75 years old, he constantly lives in Buffalo.

After the incident, he went to the hospital for medical help. The video shows that he is bleeding from under the back of his head.

“At the moment, Mr. Gugino's condition is serious, but stable. He is conscious and oriented in space, ”said his lawyer Kelly Sarkone.