(Photo: Picture taken June 4, 2020. Jamie Quinn/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
According to Buffalo News and other media outlets, an entire unit of the Buffalo Police Department resigned from their duties late Friday after two officers were suspended in the midst of a massive outcry of a footage that showed riot officers pushing a 75-year-old man to the ground, causing injuries.
According to media reports, all 57 of the department's Emergency Response Team members quit from the unit assigned with demonstrations and other crowd control situations. Members of the ERT did not resign from the police department but quit the tactical division, the Buffalo News stated.
The announcement comes a day after two members of the special unit were suspended without pay when a video spread on social media that showed the old man who struck his head on the ground after being pushed and with blood coming out of his ears as a result. The BPD Internal Affairs unit has conducted a probe into the incident.
"Fifty-seven resigned in disgust because of the treatment of two of their members, who were simply executing orders," union president John Evans told NBC affiliate WGRZ, as reported by NBC News.
Attorney Kelly V. Zarcone released a statement from Martin Gugino, the man who was shoved to the ground, disclosing that Gugino is "a long-time peaceful protester, human rights advocate, and overall fan of the US Constitution," as quoted by Ryan W. Miller, Jordan Culver and David Robinson of USA Today. In an emailed statement, Zarcone said that Gugino is in serious but stable condition.
Formed in 2016, the special response group is being deployed to deal with mass protests and riots. According to Evans and other police sources, they are the police department's first line of defense and the most highly-trained for these situations. A major part of their training includes pushing through large gatherings in order to keep control.
The shoving incident, which comes in the wake of nationwide demonstrations against police brutality, has prompted mass calls for the police officers involved to be terminated from duty. The police department has also been denounced for its initial remarks that claimed the man had tripped and fell.
"I don't know how much contact was made. He did slip in my estimation. He fell backwards," said Buffalo Police Benevolent Association President John Evans, as reported by USA Today.
During a media briefing Friday afternoon, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown stated that he would not call for the officers' termination ahead of the investigation, pointing out that it was important that they be given due process.
Team members of Buffalo's SWAT unit also thought about quitting from their special assignment posts, but decided not to, police sources told Investigative Post.
