Two Buffalo police officers, Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe, have been charged with assault after a video showed a 75-year-old man being shoved to the ground while at a protest.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said in a statement:
It is alleged that on Thursday, June 4, 2020, at approximately 8:00 p.m., the two defendants, who are Buffalo Police officers, pushed a protester outside of City Hall, causing him to fall and hit his head on the sidewalk.
The 75-year-old male victim was taken to ECMC to be treated for a head injury, loss of consciousness, and bleeding from the right ear. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.
The injured man, community activist Martin Gugino, has been described by friends as a “gentle person” who “stands up for what he thinks is right.”
A video of the alleged assault went viral, and had been viewed close to 70 million times as of Friday.
Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe both pleaded not guilty to felony second-degree assault in a virtual arraignment on Saturday.
The pair were released without bail an are due to appear again on July 20. If found guilty, they face up to seven years in prison.
