As the US is gripped by protests in wake of the killing of George Floyd large swathes of evidence of police violence and police brutality against protestors has emerged, with much of it being caught on film and posted online.
One such recent incident in Buffalo, New York, involved an advancing line of police officers pushing over 75-year-old Martin Gugino who fell to the ground, causing him to hit his head, lose consciousness and bleed profusely from the ear. The line of officers then walked over his still body. The incident has now been watched millions of times and been widely condemned.
As a result of the incident 2 officers were immediately suspended from the force. This has led to a further shocking turn of events. Instead of their fellow officers condemning the suspended officers they have instead resigned in protest at their suspension.
It is estimated that the 57 have resigned from the Emergency Response Team as they do not believe that the 2 officers should have been suspended at all.
#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
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz stated his disappointment in the actions of the striking officers, saying:
“The City of Buffalo is aware of developments related to the work assignments of certain members of the Buffalo police force. At this time, we can confirm that contingency plans are in place to maintain police services and ensure public safety within our community. The Buffalo police continue to actively work with the New York State Police and other cooperating agencies … If they resigned, I’m exceptionally disappointed by it because it indicates to me that they did not see anything wrong with the actions last night.”
"If they resigned, I'm exceptionally disappointed by it because it indicates to me that they did not see anything wrong with the actions last night," Poloncarz said after being asked about the ERT Team resigning. pic.twitter.com/gbQ4Z7vKr5
— News 4 Buffalo (@news4buffalo) June 5, 2020
However, Buffalo Police Benevolent Association president, John Evans, has stood with the striking officers claiming that the officers were just ‘following orders’ to clear Niagara Square, he stated:
“Fifty-seven resigned in disgust because of the treatment of two of their members, who were simply executing orders.”
The cry of ‘just following orders’ was perhaps not the wisest move from the Buffalo Association president. While the officers who carried out the attack were indeed ordered to clear the square anyone with even a brief knowledge of history recoils when they hear the excuse ‘just following orders.’ ‘Just following orders’ was used widely in the aftermath of the Second World War by Nazis as an excuse for their behaviour during the war, indeed the international criminal court does not recognise ‘just following orders’ as a legitimate excuse for criminality.
What makes the move more chilling is that before the officers were suspended and the video of the incident emerged, a Buffalo police statement said a man had ‘tripped and fell’ during a ‘skirmish with protestors’.
The fact that an official police statement would contain such lies has led many to suggest that this shows that it is not ‘a few bad apples’ discrediting the police, but a systematic operation of brutality and corruption.
Mr. Gugino is currently in a stable condition in the hospital.
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