Earlier today, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called for criminal charges to be made against the officers.
After a physical altercation between two separate groups of protesters participating in an illegal demonstration beyond the curfew, two Buffalo Police officers knocked down a 75-year-old man. The victim is in stable but serious condition at ECMC,’ he said in a statement late Thursday.
‘After days of peaceful protests and several meetings between myself, police leadership and members of the community, tonight’s event is disheartening.’
The officers were said to have been heading to clear Niagara Square where protests were taking place.
The video has been widely shared on social media, with many calling for the police officers to be fired.
MSNBC correspondent Joy Reid was among those who expressed outrage over the police officers failing to help the man as he lay on the ground.
‘The rest just step over him while one calls it in. And then they grab another protester. What country is this and what century?’ she tweeted.
Actor Kumail Nanjiani also criticized the Buffalo Police Department’s initial claim that the man tripped and fell, suggesting the cops would have likely gotten away with their actions if video hadn’t emerged.
It comes as the NYPD, as well as police officers across the country, have come under fire for using excessive force on people protesting peacefully.