A protester who appears to have been pushed by a Buffalo police officer in an incident Thursday night that was captured on video that shows him bleeding on the sidewalk is in stable condition, an area official said.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he confirmed the man had been hospitalized at Erie County Medical Center.
“I’ve seen videos of the incident in front of Buffalo’s City Hall in which an older protester appears to have been shoved by police, fell backwards and suffered a serious head injury,” Poloncarz said. “It sickens me.”
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Graphic video of the incident was published by the local National Public Radio affiliate, WBFO.
In the video, the man can be seen approaching a large group of officers in tactical gear and saying something. The officers yell for him to move back before one appears to push him.
The man stumbles backward and falls. Seconds later, a pool of blood can be seen near his head.
The incident occurred shortly after the city’s 8 p.m. curfew, NBC affiliate WGRZ reported.
A Buffalo Police Department spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
WGRZ initially reported that the department said that the man, who has not been identified, was injured after he tripped and fell. The station later reported that two officers involved in the incident were suspended.
