Buffalo cops suspended after viral video; rallies planned in Rochester

Video of a police officer appearing to shove an elderly protester who falls to the ground, and hits his head in Buffalo is drawing widespread condemnation. Meanwhile, in Rochester, more protests are planned for today and this weekend.

Video from WFBO showed a Buffalo officer appearing to push the unidentified 75-year-old man who walked up to police clearing Niagara Square around the 8 p.m. curfew Thursday. The man falls straight backward and hits his head on the pavement and begins to bleed as officers walk past.

The video quickly went viral on social media, spurring outrage. Buffalo police initially said in a statement that a person "was injured when he tripped & fell," WIVB-TV reported, but Capt. Jeff Rinaldo later told the TV station that an internal affairs investigation was opened.

The police commissioner subsequently suspended two police officers without pay, Mayor Byron Brown said in a statement.

The mayor of Buffalo, who expressed he was "deeply disturbed" by the video, said the unidentified man was in "stable but serious" condition at a hospital.

"While it is early, thankfully he is expected to recover," Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted shortly after midnight. Around 7 a.m. Friday, he provided another update on the man: "he is still in serious but stable condition at the Erie County Medical Center and, as was relayed to me by an ECMC official, he is 'alert and oriented.' That is better news. Let's hope he fully recovers."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo endorsed the officers' suspensions, tweeting that what was seen on video was "wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful." The office of State Attorney General Letitia James tweeted that they were aware of the video. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer called for an investigation, according to a statement reported by WIVB-TV.

"The casual cruelty demonstrated by Buffalo police officers tonight is gut-wrenching and unacceptable," John Curr, the Buffalo chapter director for the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement, adding that it should be a "wake-up call" for city leaders to address police violence.

In Rochester, more protests are planned for today and for this weekend.

On Friday afternoon, a group or protesters are planning to gather on the sidewalk in front of the Monroe County Office Building at 39 W. Main St. According to organizers, the event is meant to be a peaceful and silent protest.

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said there will be several closures today of County facilities.

The closures are being taken in anticipation of a large demonstration in the vicinity today, Bello said in a media release.

Some concrete barricades were moved into place along West Main Street, near where the planned protest will take place.

The County Clerk’s office will not be processing any public transactions.

Two protests are scheduled to take place in downtown Rochester on Saturday. Here's more about the two events:

A Black Lives Matter protest is set to begin at noon at the Liberty Pole in downtown Rochester on Saturday. The event is slated to run until 3 p.m. Organizers are asking attendees to be mindful of social distancing. The event is being described as a peaceful, nonviolence protest.

Another BLM protest is set for 1 p.m. at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, formerly Manhattan Square Park. The protest is organized by Free the People Roc in response to the protest and violent and descriptive aftermath in Rochester on May 30.

Last weekend, hundreds of demonstrators marched through Rochester, denouncing police brutality and the death of Floyd.

Following the demonstration on May 30, some people set cars on fire, confronted police and eventually, damaged and looted dozens of city and suburban businesses.