Lawyers representing a 75-year-old protester shoved to the ground by upstate New York police during demonstrations that broke out in the days after George Floyd’s death filed a widely anticipated lawsuit in federal court Monday, less than two weeks after criminal charges against the officers involved were dropped.
Martin Gugino, then 75, was pushed to the ground by officers during a protest against police violence last year. A video of the episode, which left Mr. Gugino with a fractured skull, circulated widely online.
Buffalo Police name badges to return to officers outer garments
Directive from Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood will allow officers to remove names if assigned to cover a protest. Author: WGRZ Staff Updated: 7:18 PM EST January 25, 2021
BUFFALO, N.Y. Buffalo Police are reversing their policy of allowing its officers to wear only a badge number instead of their name on their uniforms and overcoats.
The change was announced during a meeting Monday of the Buffalo Police Oversight Committee and comes at the directive of Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
Following a summer of unrest, Mayor Byron Brown said last September officers could just wear a badge number as a way to cut down on attempts by members of the public to inappropriately contact officers.
Buffalo Common Council members are considering enacting a law, modeled on one in Syracuse, that would bolster police transparency and accountability.
The new push follows a recent decision by Mayor Byron W. Brown and Police Commissioner Byron D. Lockwood to no longer require police officers to display their names on their uniforms â a move that doesnât sit well with many community members, activists and organizations.
The change was for the safety of police officers, department officials said. Following Black Lives Matter protests that broke out in late May after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, some officers have had death threats and their personal information circulated publicly.