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Grand jury votes not to indict Buffalo police officers accused of shoving 75-year-old protester
By Michael Levenson New York Times,Updated February 12, 2021, 12:02 a.m.
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Mike Desmond, a 75-year-old protester, fell to the ground after being shoved by Buffalo, New York, police.WBFO NPR/AFP via Getty Images
A grand jury has declined to indict two Buffalo, New York, police officers who were facing felony assault charges for shoving a 75-year-old protester who landed hard on the ground and seriously injured his head, prosecutors said Thursday.
The episode outside Buffalo City Hall in June was captured on video and widely shared on social media, fueling outrage during a summer of unrest over police violence. The fury only intensified after the Police Department initially claimed that the protester, Martin Gugino, âtripped and fell,â a description at direct odds with the video.
Martin Gugino, 75, was left with a fractured skull after he was pushed aside
Gugino was among hundreds protesting George Floyd s death on June 4
Officers Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe were suspended after the incident
On Thursday a grand jury decided not to prosecute on felony assault charges
The Buffalo Police Benevolent Association celebrated Thursday s decision
Torgalski and McCabe remain suspended pending an internal investigation
Charges dismissed against 2 Buffalo Police officers who shoved protester in June
Aaron Torgalski, 39, and Robert McCabe, 32, had been virtually arraigned on June 5 with assault in the second degree, a Class D felony. Author: WGRZ Staff Updated: 11:43 PM EST February 11, 2021
BUFFALO, N.Y. Charges against the two Buffalo Police officers involved in a June incident where a protester was shoved to the ground have been dismissed, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced Thursday.
Aaron Torgalski, 39, and Robert McCabe, 32, had originally been charged with assault in the second degree, a Class D felony.
A city spokesperson said Buffalo Police Captain Jeff Rinaldo says the officers are still suspended pending the conclusion of the internal investigation.