I still believe that most cops are faithful, law-abiding citizens who take seriously the nature of the job and the restraint it demands. There is, however, a systemic problem that has seeped into our law enforcement agencies, and that problem is a superiority complex that has led many officers to believe that they can act with impunity.
The Buffalo Police Department proved that this problem exists this weekend, when the entire Emergency Response Team, totaling 57 officers, resigned in protest after the department suspended two officers without pay for shoving a 75-year-old man and injuring him.
To fully understand what happened, you need to watch this video. (Note: It is graphic.) This bystander footage shows the two suspended officers forcefully pushing 75-year-old Martin Gugino, causing him to hit his head on the concrete and begin bleeding:
Just about an hour ago, police officers shove man in Niagara Square to the ground (WARNING: Graphic). Video from: @MikeDesmondWBFO pic.twitter.com/JBKQLvzfET
— WBFO (@WBFO) June 5, 2020
What makes this encounter even more alarming is the Buffalo Police Department’s press release about the incident, which attributes Gugino’s injuries to his own clumsiness: “[A] 5th person was arrested during a skirmish with other protestors and also charged with disorderly conduct. During that skirmish involving protestors, one person was injured when he tripped & fell,” the press release states. (Emphasis added.)
It raises the question: Had there not been a recording of the encounter, would the officers involved be facing consequences? Would we even know that Gugino was the victim of police brutality?
Thankfully, the encounter was recorded, and the Buffalo Police Department suspended the two officers involved. In response, 57 other officers resigned from the Emergency Response Team in protest — not because of the violent actions of the two cops, but in support of them. Indeed, dozens of department employees gathered outside to applaud their suspended colleagues as they exited the department building:
Buffalo police officers applauded by their colleagues as they leave the courthouse pic.twitter.com/t9DGC07ijZ
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) June 6, 2020
This is corruption on all fronts: First, officers used excessive force against a peaceful citizen. Then, the department tries to publicly cover up the officers’ wrongdoing in a press release. And now, these officers are being lauded by their colleagues, who should instead be supporting the department’s attempt at accountability.
Things like this undermine the argument that law enforcement just needs to get rid of a “few bad apples.” The Buffalo Police Department tried to do just that, and now they’re facing a revolt from inside the house. This is an institutional and cultural failure that must be addressed if the Buffalo Police Department hopes to hold onto any sort of credibility. Our officers must do better, and anyone or anything that tries to stand in the way of transparency and accountability must be tossed aside, including other officers.
