The Terrifying History of Bad Cops in Buffalo [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

WELCOME TO NEW YORK
No fewer than four men of color have died as the result of encounters with Buffalo police in the past three years. Then a 75-year-old got knocked down.


Jim Heaney
Published Jun. 06, 2020 4:54AM ET

This story was published in partnership with Investigative Post, a non-profit investigative reporting center in Buffalo, New York.

It’s the shove seen round the world: two Buffalo cops push a demonstrator who falls, slams his head on the pavement, and immediately begins to bleed from the ears.

City officials wasted no time in suspending the two officers seen on the video shoving the demonstrator, who, it turns out, is 75 years old and fighting cancer.

Suffice to say, this is not a good look for the police.

But never ones to back down—Buffalo cops can be a belligerent bunch—they responded by organizing a mass resignation of the 57 officers from the team designated to deal with protests and other large crowds. They are keeping their jobs, but giving up their assignments on what is considered an elite response team. Rank and file are said to be disgruntled, as well.

John Evans, president of the Police Benevolent Association, emailed his membership and characterized the suspensions this way: “They tried to fuck over these guys like I have never seen in my 54 years.”

More:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-terrifying-history-of-bad-cops-in-buffalo