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A grand jury in Western New York has dismissed assault charges against two police officers who shoved an elderly protester to the ground during a George Floyd protest in June.

Buffalo Police Department officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski had faced felony charges for shoving 75-year-old Martin Gugino to the ground, fracturing his skull and causing him to bleed from his head.

Those charges were dismissed by a grand jury panel, which voted to not charge the cops, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said at a press conference Thursday.

Flynn defended bringing felony charges against the officers at the press conference Thursday, saying video footage of the shove clearly showed the officers had committed a crime.

“I apologize for nothing,” Flynn said.


  The two Buffalo Police Officers who shoved protestor and activist Martin Gugino, Robert McCabe (left) and Aaron Torgalski. Erie County District Attorney The two Buffalo Police Officers who shoved protestor and activist Martin Gugino, Robert McCabe (left) and Aaron Torgalski. Erie County District Attorney

He added Gugino “should not have been shoved,” but said he agreed the activist should have been arrested because he was breaking a curfew that the city was under at the time.

Gugino spent a month in a hospital recovering from a fractured skull and brain injury after cracking his head on the ground during the altercation with the police officers.

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