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June 4, 2020

BUFFALO - Tonight at a protest in Buffalo, police officers struck a 75-year-old protester at a peaceful protest against police violence, knocking him to the ground and walking away while he lay motionless on the ground and bleeding from his head. The man is reported to be in serious but stable condition and in the hospital with a concussion. Buffalo's police commissioner suspended the officers involved and ordered an Internal Affairs investigation. In response, the New York Civil Liberties Union issued the following statement from Buffalo Chapter Director John Curr:

“The casual cruelty demonstrated by Buffalo police officers tonight is gut-wrenching and unacceptable. Suspensions and an investigation are already in order, but there is little more we have to see to know what took place.

“Police officers cannot continue to hide behind the lie that they are protecting and serving. City leaders need to take this as a wake-up call and seriously address the police violence during this week’s protest and the culture of impunity that led to this incident. There is no place for military-geared police to enforce a curfew by inflicting violence on the very people they are supposed to protect.

“We are in solidarity with Buffalo’s protesters and demand that demonstrators can protest without the threat of police brutality on the streets tomorrow."