Martin Gugino, who was the 75-year-old protester pushed to the ground by a pair of Buffalo, New York police officers, has a fractured skull and is unable to walk, according to his lawyer, in a statement to CNN. His attorney, Kelly Zarcone, said she could not elaborate more but did confirm the injuries. She added that her client is “appreciative of all of the concern about him, but he is still focused on the issues rather than himself.”
Gugino provided a brief statement through his lawyer to CNN, as well, redirecting all of the attention that has been placed on him and hoping that the same energy can be placed on the issues at hand. He said it’s “very unnecessary” for this much emphasis being placed on him, and that “there are plenty of other things to think about besides me.” Gugino remains in rehabilitation, and not much is expected to change in that avenue for a little while, according to his lawyer.
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All of this went down on June 4 as protests swept across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. Video of the incident went viral across social media as Gugino was seen being shoved down and slamming his head onto the sidewalk. The officers in question were Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe, both of whom later plead not guilty to second-degree assault after being suspended without pay as an investigation was opened. They are set to appear in court again on July 20.
This incident is wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful.
I’ve spoken with Buffalo @MayorByronBrown and we agree that the officers involved should be immediately suspended pending a formal investigation.
Police Officers must enforce — NOT ABUSE — the law. https://t.co/EYIbTlXnPt
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 5, 2020
While he doesn’t want to be in the spotlight, Gugino has seen his case brought up by many people in power across the country. President Donald Trump downplayed what happened, suggesting that the 75-year-old could have been a part of ANTIFA. He went on by saying that he was pushed because he attempted “to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?” There is not evidence to support these claims. New York governor Andrew Cuomo called the ordeal “wholly unjustifable” and an overall disgrace.
