Who is Martin Gugino and what did Trump tweet about the elderly man who was pushed by a Buffalo police officer?
PRESIDENT Donald Trump has deemed the elderly protester who was thrown to the ground by Buffalo police officers last week an “ANTIFA provocateur”.
Trump accused Martin Gugino of faking his assault on Tuesday morning, days after video footage showed two riot cops shoving the 75-year-old during an anti-racism protest last week in New York.
Here’s more about the elderly protester who Trump believes faked his assault.
Who is Martin Gugino?
The elderly protester is a longtime peace activist who’s been involved in an array of issues ranging from nuclear disarmament to climate change, according to The Buffalo News.
Gugino grew up in Buffalo, but has lived in Amherst, Massachusetts for some time.
His friend Terrence Bisson described Gugino as a “gentle person” with “some health problems” who stands up “for what he thinks is right.”
“That’s why he went to the demonstration. He would never resist physically any kind of orders”, Bisson said.
“He’s a bit frail, not because of his age. He has some health problems.”
What happened to Gugino during a protest in Buffalo?
Footage captured last Thursday showed the elderly protester approaching a crowd of riot officers in Niagara Square before he’s shoved out of the way by two cops.
Gugino then stumbles, falls to the ground, and audibly cracks his head open on the pavement before he appears to be knocked out.
Bystanders urged someone to call medics and protesters were heard shouting, “He’s bleeding out of his ears!”
Gugino was rushed to the Erie County Medical Center in serious condition but said on Tuesday that he’s been released.
Who is Buffalo police officer Aaron Torgalski?
Aaron Torgalski was identified as one of the officers who shoved Gugino after eagle-eyed social media users briefly spotted his name in video of the confrontation.
He and officer Robert McCabe were charged with second-degree assault on Saturday.
Despite the assault charges, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said he wouldn’t fire Torgalski or McCabe, saying it was “very important they get due process.”
Buffalo’s entire police emergency team resigned in solidarity with the cops on Friday.
Hundreds of law enforcement officials showed up at the Erie County Courthouse for their arraignment on Saturday to show their support.
What did Trump tweet about Gugino?
Trump said the elderly protester, who was thrown to the ground by Buffalo police, is “ANTIFA provocateur”. The president claimed on Tuesday that the elderly man was shoved by cops after he apparently scanned police communications in order to intercept equipment transmissions.
Gugino responded to the president’s tweet shortly after in a statement to USA Today on Tuesday, saying, “No comment other than Black lives matter. Just out of the ICU. Should recover eventually. Thx.”
Hours after Trump tweeted, Gov Andrew Cuomo accused him of “spreading conspiracies” about Gugino without evidence and called his comments “reckless”.
“Was the blood coming out of his head staged? Were our eyes lying to us? No,” tweeted Cuomo.
“The man is still in the hospital & the president is disparaging him. It’s cruel and reckless.”