Two Buffalo, New York, police officers who pushed a 75-year-old protester to the ground during a 2020 protest of George Floyds murder are set to return to work after an arbitrator cleared them of wrongdoing, the Buffalo News and Associated Press reported.
Arbitrator Jeffrey Selchick concluded Friday that officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski were completely justified in shoving Martin Gugino the day of the protest near the city hall in downtown Buffalo, New York.
The arbitration decision only impacts departmental charges by the Buffalo Police Department for improper use of force and acting in a manner that brought discredit to the department, according to Buffalo News.
A bystander filmed the confrontation between Gugino, who was alone, and a large group of officers in riot gear, as they marched down a sidewalk during the protest on June 4, 2020.
The brief video , which quickly went viral, shows Gugino approaching the two officers and stopping in front of them while holding his phone in one hand and a helmet in the other.
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The officers pushed Gugino and continued marching forward, sending Gugino stumbling backward and falling onto his back, his head slamming into the concrete sidewalk. As Gugino lay on the floor motionless and bleeding, many officers continued to march onward.
Selchick said the two cops were justified in using that level of force because Gugino refused to comply with the officerss orders, The Associated Press reported.
Warning: The videos below contain graphic content.
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