Another day, another example of police showing the nation why so many are demonstrating against them.
In Buffalo, 57 cops stepped down from the city’s Emergency Response Team on Friday to show solidarity with their two suspended colleagues, who pushed a septuagenarian to the ground, causing him to be hospitalized with a serious head injury. Those officers represented the entire team.
Not one individual among them had the courage or strength to step up and say the actions of the two suspended cops was wrong.
“Fifty-seven resigned in disgust because of the treatment of two of their members, who were simply executing orders,” said John Evans, president of the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association, according to Buffalo television station WGRZ.
They were just following orders. Where have we heard that before?
What kind of police department orders its officers to shove a 75-year-old man to the ground, and then not help him when he hits his head and starts bleeding all over the sidewalk? What kind of men back up that behavior en masse?
First of all, following orders does not excuse someone from committing heinous acts of violence. But are we really to believe these two men were actually ordered to get physical with some peacefully protesting old guy?
Don’t forget, also, that this very police department initially tried to cover up what those cops did, before a journalist showed video of the incident to the world. Were Buffalo police also just following orders when they told the public this man, identified as Martin Gugino, simply tripped and fell?
To be clear, these 57 complicit cops did not quit their jobs. The people of Buffalo are not so lucky. They just stepped down from participating in a special unit that gets called in to manage mass demonstrations and riots. And, let’s be honest, how frequently do mass protests or riots break out in Buffalo? Probably not that often.
So this isn’t exactly some kind of courageous stand for righteousness. Far from it. It actually just does more of what cops have been doing for the past 11 days in cities all across the nation: Proving the protesters point that police brutality, excessive force and systemic racism are a real problem in this country.
Maybe if the NFL’s Bills or NHL’s Sabres ever improved to the point where either could win their first title, there might be a need for the city’s Emergency Response Team to quell out-of-control celebrations. Until then, one has to think incidents of civil unrest in Buffalo will continue to be few and far between.
If this is the manner in which these cops expect to be permitted to conduct themselves, then good riddance to their special team of storm-troopers.