Buffalo mayor says elderly protester pushed to ground by police was an 'agitator'
The mayor of Buffalo has said that the elderly protester filmed being knocked to the ground by police in a now viral video was an “agitator” who has been asked to leave the area “numerous” times. Byron Brown said that the 75-year-old man, Martin Gugino, was trying to “spark up the crowd of people”. Two officers appeared to push Mr Gugino, who hit his head on the pavement and was seen to be bleeding from a head wound after the incident near Niagara Square in Buffalo, New York . Mr Gugino was rushed to Erie County Medical Centre, where he is in a stable but serious condition. Both officers have been suspended without pay and an internal affairs investigation launched. Explaining why they had not been fired, Mayor Brown told WBEN Radio: “I don’t want to jump ahead of the investigation. It is very important for officers to know they are getting due process.” Mr Brown spoke about the violence and vandalism that had erupted after protests over the death of George Floyd and said that Mr Gu