Abused by Buffalo police and accused by President Donald Trump of being an “antifa provocateur,” 75-year-old Martin Gugino remains hospitalized with a skull fracture, unable to walk and unable to return home even if he was released because he has also become the subject of multiple death threats.
All because he got too close to a pair of Buffalo cops decked out in riot gear during a protest, failing to comply with their order to move within a second.
Buffalo police officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski, shoved him hard, sending the elderly man sprawling backwards on the sidewalk; his head striking the concrete with a thud, the cops marching past him as he lay motionless on the sidewalk in a pool of blood.
The video shows he was holding what appears to be a police riot helmet in one hand and was perhaps trying to return it to the officers. He was holding a smartphone in the other hand where it appeared he was recording. At one point, he waved the phone in front of one of the cops, which probably made him fear for his life.
The two cops have been charged with second-degree assault and have pleaded not guilty. They are facing a maximum of seven years in prison. They have been suspended without pay.
The arrests have outraged cops across the country and led to 57 cops resigning from a tactical unit, a move that more ceremonial than anything considering they are still receiving a paycheck.
The arrests also outraged President Donald Trump who took to Twitter to say Gugino was probably an “ANTIFA provocateur” who was attempting to sabotage police radio communications. Trump also said Gugino “fell harder than he was pushed,” suggesting he purposely fractured his own head to make police look bad.
But those who know Gugino describe him as a peaceful activist and advocate for the First Amendment who fights for issues like climate change and volunteers at a local Catholic nonprofit. However, like Trump, the democrat also has some strong views he likes to share on Twitter where he describes himself as “#TooFarLeft, including several tweets critical of police as well as the president.
Shortly before he was shoved, he tweeted “I think it’s fair to say that the Trump presidency has been a complete failure. The Democrats could have helped more. Have to say that,” according to Heavy.
But it does not appear as if he was tweeted anything since the incident. His tweets have been made private.
And ever since Trump suggested he was an antifa provocateur, Gugino has been receiving death threats, his attorney told TMZ.
The elderly man who was violently shoved to the ground by cops in Buffalo can’t go home whenever he’s released from the hospital … because there are threats against his life.
Martin Gugino*‘s attorney, **Kelly Zarcone**, tells TMZ … it’s not safe for the 75-year-old man to return to his residence when he’s healthy enough to leave the hospital … because he’s getting a constant barrage of threats.*
We’re told the threats are flooding in from folks who mistakenly believe a false claim going around about Martin — that he’s been arrested 300 times and has a long history of inciting riots.
Martin’s attorney says in reality, the senior citizen has only been arrested 4 times for peacefully protesting, and only one arrest resulted in a criminal charge for trespassing, and he was acquitted.
His attorney also told TMZ he is still unable to get up on his own two feet. His attorney released the following statement from Gugino.
“I think it’s very unnecessary to focus on me. There are plenty of other things to think about besides me.”
Prior to the video going viral, Buffalo police sent the following email to local media, claiming Gugino “tripped and fell.”
