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Tuesday, November 28, 2023 | 
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Video shows Buffalo police officers shoving and injuring an elderly man. The officers were later suspended

Two Buffalo police officers have been suspended

By Herb Scribner Herb Scribnerhscribner@deseretnews.com
SHARE Video shows Buffalo police officers shoving and injuring an elderly man. The officers were later suspended
In this image from video provided by WBFO, a Buffalo police officer appears to shove a man who walked up to police Thursday, June 4, 2020, in Buffalo, N.Y. Video from WBFO shows the man appearing to hit his head on the pavement, with blood leaking out as officers walk past to clear Niagara Square.

In this image from video provided by WBFO, a Buffalo police officer appears to shove a man who walked up to police Thursday, June 4, 2020, in Buffalo, N.Y. Video from WBFO shows the man appearing to hit his head on the pavement, with blood leaking out as officers walk past to clear Niagara Square.

AP

Two Buffalo police officers have been suspended after video footage captured them shoving and injuring a 75-year-old protester, according to multiple reports.

How it happened:

  • Protests broke out in Buffalo Thursday night over racial injustice, police brutality and the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died when a police officer knelt on his neck.
  • Buffalo, New York, held a curfew for the events. City and state police swept through the city to encourage protesters to head home.
  • Video footage captured two Buffalo police officers shoving a 75-year-old man who was protesting Thursday night. The man lost his balance and fell to the pavement, hitting his head. Blood trickled from his ear.
  • Medics arrived to treat the elderly protester. He was helped into an ambulance and taken away to a nearby hospital. He remains in serious but stable condition, dealing with a concussion and lacerations.
  • The man is expected to recover, according to WBFO.

You can watch the video at WBFO. Warning: The video includes graphic images and sounds.

Reactions:

  • A Buffalo police spokesman issued a statement shortly after the events, saying  ”a fifth person was arrested during a skirmish with other protesters and also charged with disorderly conduct. During that skirmish involving protesters, one person was injured when he tripped & fell.”

  • WBFO posted a video of the moment on Twitter at 9:13 p.m. — just 23 minutes after the Buffalo police issued its statement.
  • The Buffalo police department then announced an internal affairs investigation. The two officers involved in the incident were later suspended, according to WBFO.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown sent out a statement that said he felt “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. 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. I hope to continue to build on the progress we have achieved as we work together to address racial injustice and inequity in the City of Buffalo. My thoughts are with the victim tonight.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the incident was “wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful.” 

This incident is wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful. I’ve spoken with Buffalo @MayorByronBrown and we agree that the officers involved should be immediately suspended pending a formal investigation. Police Officers must enforce — NOT ABUSE — the law.