A former protester who was pushed to the ground by Buffalo police officers during a George Floyd rally has filed a lawsuit against the city and three of the officers involved, according to a report.
Martin Gugino, 75, has filed a civil lawsuit alleging that his First Amendment rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly were violated during the June incident that left him with a fractured skull and an injury. cerebral, WKBW reported.
“The use of illegal force against a peaceful protester can never be justified. It is still illegal. Martin was peaceful,” said one of Gugino’s lawyers, Richard Weisbeck Jr.
“Peaceful protesters, regardless of whether a curfew is in force or not, have the right to always be in public places. Martin and other people exercising their first rights to change have been treated selectively,” Weisbeck said.
The Buffalo police commissioner and deputy police commissioner are also listed as defendants in the case.
Less than two weeks ago, criminal assault charges brought against Buffalo police department officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski – who are named in the case – were dropped by a grand jury.
McCabe and Torgalski had already faced criminal charges for pushing Gugino to the ground.
Gugino spent a month in hospital recovering from his injuries.
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