TRAGIC

Elderly Protester Knocked Down by Buffalo Police Has Suffered a Brain Injury

Martin Gugino, 75, has become an emblem for protesters against police brutality, and the president has spread conspiracy theories about him.

The 75-year-old protester knocked down by Buffalo Police in a stunning video has suffered a brain injury as a result of the attack, his lawyer said. Video showed Martin Gugino approaching local police during a peaceful protest and briefly speaking to them before two officers pushed him over without provocation. Gugino fell and hit his head on the pavement. Blood pooled around his head as officers walked by, unfazed. Kelly Zarcone, Gugino’s lawyer, said, “As heartbreaking as it is, his brain is injured and he is well aware of that now.” She said he’d started physical therapy and was adjusting to a “new normal.” As Gugino became an emblem for people protesting police brutality, President Trump spread conspiracy theories about him that had no basis in available facts, saying he was likely a planted “antifa provocateur.” The two officers involved in the incident have been charged with second degree assault.