As protests against the brutal killing of George Floyd entered 10th day, another instance of US police brutality has emerged. Two police officers in Buffalo, New York were suspended without pay on charges on manhandling and injuring a 75-year-old man during the ongoing protest.
Footage taken by a reporter from a local public radio station and posted online showed the unidentified man approaching some officers clad in riot gears. After he stops in front of them to talk, an officer yells, ‘push him back’ three times, one officer pushes his arm into the man’s chest, while another extends his baton toward him with both hands. Following this, a loud noise is heard as the man hits his head on the pavement, and blood starts oozing out of his right ear.
The video also showed an officer leaning down to examine him, but another officer then pulls him away. Several other officers are seen walking by the man lying motionless on the ground, without checking on him.
This incident was widely condemned across the country, however, fury was heightened among protestors by the police department’s initial claim that the man ‘tripped and fell’, a claim totally at odds with what was shown in the video.
‘I was deeply disturbed by the video. After days of peaceful protests and several meetings between myself, police leadership, and members of the community, tonight’s event is disheartening.’ said the Buffalo’s mayor, Byron Brown in a report by The Guardian.
The New York state governor, Andrew Cuomo, said the incident was ‘wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful’, adding that ‘Police officers must enforce not abuse the law.’ While Police officers went about their business, the WBFO radio station reported that there were two medics who came forward to help the man into an ambulance. After viewing the video, the Buffalo police commissioner, Byron Lockwood, ordered an investigation and suspended the two officers.
According to The Guardian report, John Curr, director of the Buffalo chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, accused the police officers involved of ‘casual cruelty’. ‘Police officers cannot continue to hide behind the lie that they are protecting and serving. City leaders need to take this as a wake-up call and seriously address the police violence during this week’s protest and the culture of impunity which led to this incident.’ he further added.
The 75-year-old victim was in stable but serious condition at Erie County medical centre hospital in Buffalo, Brown said.
