57 members of Buffalo Police riot response team resign

[Marcuse]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Buffalo News

All 57 of the members of the Buffalo Police Department's Emergency Response Team resigned Friday from the unit which responds to riots and other crowd control situations, the president of the union that represents Buffalo police officers told The Buffalo News.

Two members of the Emergency Response Team were suspended without pay late Thursday after they involved in pushing a 75-year-old protester to the ground as they were clearing the area in front of Buffalo City Hall at the emergency curfew. The Erie County Diystrict Attorney's Office is investigating the incident. No charges have been filed.

The Emergency Response Team members have not quit the police department, but have stepped down from the tactical unit, according to the sources.

The union representing Buffalo police officers told its rank and file members Friday that the union would no longer pay for legal fees to defend police officers related to the protests which began Saturday in downtown Buffalo and have continued on and off, according to one source. The union is upset with the treatment of the two officers who were suspended Thursday.

"Our position is these officers were simply following orders from Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia to clear the square," said Buffalo Police Benevolent Association President John Evans. "It doesn't specify clear the square of men, 50 and under or 15 to 40. They were simply doing their job. I don't know how much contact was made. He did slip in my estimation. He fell backwards."

Read more: https://buffalonews.com/2020/06/05/57-members-of-buffalo-police-riot-response-team-resign/

[Fiendish Thingy]

1. Birds of a feather, stick together

But they May have actually done their community a favor.

[ace3csusm]

2. Now fire them from Department

THey have just shown they dont know right from wrong...Narzi said the same thing in Nuremberg trials...

[Iliyah]

3. I can see treason barr contacting them . .

[Mr.Bill]

4. Any officer who didn't render aid to that man as he lay there bleeding

should be terminated.

[Srkdqltr]

24. One who bent down to him was pushed out by the guy behind him

[LisaL]

27. I saw that. One guy appeared as if he wanted to stop and help, and another

prevented him from helping.

[Miguelito Loveless]

51. The one preventing him was

the guy who pushed him, if memory servers.

[True Blue American]

60. You are right

The guy behind him pushed him on.i am watching it now.

[Mr.Bill]

57. Yes, I saw that, too. n/t

[luvtheGWN]

36. So much for "to serve and protect".

[flibbitygiblets]

55. and that is their MISSION STATEMENT:

"The mission of the Buffalo Police Department is to serve and protect our residents and visitors; uphold the law with integrity, respect, and professionalism while preserving the rights and dignity of all; and maintaining peace by providing for the safety and security of the community."

from their website: http://www.bpdny.org/27/About-Us

Maybe next time the Buffalo PD responds with this crap, they should be reminded of this!

[MarcA]

5. The Blue Gang supports the Bad Apples. n/t

[Aviation Pro]

6. Decertify them

….

[ArizonaLib]

61. Exactly - now get the union out of Buffalo

Not going to miss them. Take their toys and go home.

[marybourg]

7. Good. This was a hyper-militarized unit which gets called out

mainly because it exists. The proverbial hammer to the proverbial nail. NY doesn’t need it.

[ashredux]

8. He slipped?? Good God man....we can see the video!!! Are you really this stupid?

[chia]

10. He's really that dishonest.

[Bengus81]

29. Here's another old guy "slipping" in Salt Lake City.........

Those old guys need new walking skills or maybe face arrest for damage done to the concrete they fall on. But oh my...the cop was taken off of "patrol duty". And put on what??

https://www.abc4.com/news/salt-lake-city-riots/salt-lake-city-officer-who-pushed-down-elderly-man-removed-from-patrol-duties-during-investigation/

[chia]

9. "I don't know how much contact was made. He did slip in my estimation." Liar...

[Jamastiene]

11. These were some of the same

"good police" who were kneeling with protesters earlier in the day.

Good riddance. If they are that fucking racist and can look at a 75 year old man bleeding from his ears and STILL resign to stand with cops who shoved him down and made that happen, then did not help him, they are no good to anyone anyhow. Take their cred and certification away for violating the Hipp. Oath.

[lamp_shade]

12. He slipped and fell backward? WTF? He fell backward because he was PUSHED.

What a bunch of dopes.

[spudspud]

13. Bunch of jack booted thugs.

Clear the square doesn't mean brutalize people you bastards. We really need a new way of handling peace keeping in America. Need a clean sweep of these departments, rehiring and complete pscyh evals for all new hires. Biden admin needs to make it a DOJ priority to go after known bad cops and white supremacist infiltrators.

[ouija]

15. Good

[marble falls]

14. Assholes. Do they expect public demonstrations to get them back "on the team"?

[barbtries]

16. interesting discussion with a council member

from Minneapolis that I watched this morning on the MSNBC website. Sorry I can't even remember what show it was, possibly Chris Hayes?

Anyhow. He's been trying to deal with police brutality and the racist culture of the PD there and when he's tried to take action, the police slow their response. When the citizens ask what took you so long the police say "Ask your council member."

Is that called extortion or blackmail? At any rate I would say that's what the Buffalo PD is doing here.

motherfuckers.

[stillcool]

30. I saw that too.

in this case how they can resign from one unit, and still have not resigned from the police force is a neat little trick.

[barbtries]

47. neat little trick or not,

it's pretty transparent. i hope the people in Buffalo can see it for what it is.

[mainer]

17. Asserting their right to shove senior citizens everywhere

It's one of the perks of the job, and they're mad they can't do it anymore.

[JudyM]

18. Showing their true colors. If it wasn't obvious from how they treated that man at the time.

[doc03]

19. Hitler's SS were just following orders. I think they should

be told not to let the door hit them in the ass on the way out if that is their belief.

[Marthe48]

20. Can't abide by the rules, taking their ball and going home

This move makes all 57 officers look like they want to make their own rules, which is no rules.

[BigmanPigman]

66. That is what struck me too.

Also, I was thinking that now that they will not financially be defended by their union they don't want to chance it and are afraid they may get caught acting inappropriately and have to pay the legal fees themselves. If they really thought that they were innocent and doing their job than there would be no "getting caught" on video and no legal fees to deal with. It makes them all look guilty of knowing they are not "innocently doing their jobs" but are afraid of the legal fees they will face by continuing what they have been doing.

[Bengus81]

21. Things have REALLY changed over the last two weeks eh??

Same THUGS different day. Hope that guy didn't do any damage to the concrete his head hit. He might have been arrested.

[Lonestarblue]

22. Police unions have become a huge problem.

The Guardian has an article on the police union head in Minneapolis—a Trump supporter—that reveals why the city has been unable to tackle police brutality. I support unions but not when their actions endanger the public.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/05/minneapolis-police-union-bob-kroll-us

[unblock]

23. What snowflakes! Can't even allow an investigation to start!

Deeply offended that they should even be questioned, one of them quite plainly shoved an elderly person and could have killed him.

And they can't even stand the thought of it even being looked into.

Snowflakes!

[Jim__]

25. Buffalo Police Benevolent Association President John Evans is a fucking idiot.

Clear the square doesn't mean it's ok to assault people. I know 10 year old kids who could explain that to him.

[OnlinePoker]

41. Question from a Canadian

Are police benevolent associations tax exempt? Seems like they are very political.

[Jim__]

45. Yes. They are a 501(c)(5) organization - labor organization - so they are exempt from federal ...

... income tax. They do have to pay sales tax and, I believe, their employees have to pay income tax.

[LisaL]

26. Does clearing the square involves pushing a 75 year old male to the ground?

That guy could have died.

[Miigwech]

28. Well then, get the fuck out of the Police Dept as well!

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." Dr. Maya Angelou

These cops continue to stand with corruption, racism and the "Blue Wall," clean house from this culture of hate and violent policing. Focus on these cops that resigned because they are the bad cops. So stupid to out themselves.

[roamer65]

31. Good. Make it a 100 percent minority unit.

I’d grab the opportunity right now if I had it as a police chief.

[Sherman A1]

32. Good

hopefully that unit is disbanded.

[pecosbob]

33. Okay...now disband the unit permanently

[doc03]

34. What would be their limit be 1 year old or 102 or

would that even matter? Duh I was told to clear the streets, that means anything babies, dogs and cats too.
How do these morons get a badge?

[OnlinePoker]

43. In LA, they shot a homeless man in a wheelchair in the head with a rubber bullet

These people are completely out of control and are doing what they want because they've been given authority to do so from the highest office in the land.

Linking a Reddit thread rather than a direct image because it's pretty graphic.

https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/gx4s49/different_angle_of_the_unarmed_homeless_man_that/

[onetexan]

38. spot on, the video does not lie. The world has seen it millions of times over. The union cannot lie.

Buffalo's city council should take a page from the like Minneapolis city council and dissolve its police force to remake it to what it should be - a real law enforcement force that truly serves the public, not harm it.

[Downtown Hound]

37. Fine by me. n/t

[FakeNoose]

39. Time to bust the Police Union

I'm sorry - normally I'm not anti-union, but these guys have taken it way, way too far. They have outlived their usefulness and they need to go.

A legal aid advocate can be provided for any policemen who needs independent legal advice at low or no cost. That's something that I'm happy to see my taxes used for. But these PBAs and Unions aren't providing any legal advice, they're thugs and fascist-enablers. If their members all resigned they don't need a PBA any more, so just ban the entire group.

[beachbumbob]

40. good riddance, let pensions be revoked, good bye

[Thekaspervote]

42. Just following orders?? BS!! Trying to cover their tracks and say he slipped?

Good riddance

[Stonepounder]

44. When I started reading this, I thought "Oh, good". Then I got to the 4th paragraph.

The union representing Buffalo police officers told its rank and file members Friday that the union would no longer pay for legal fees to defend police officers related to the protests which began Saturday in downtown Buffalo and have continued on and off, according to one source. The union is upset with the treatment of the two officers who were suspended Thursday.

Do editors even bother to proofread any more? The first sentence seems to say the the Police Union was not willing to pay for officers that get in hot water for actions against non-violent protesters. But then the very next sentence, seemingly referring to the same Union "...is upset with the treatment" of the officers who pushed an old man to the pavement, cracking his skull and refusing to allow any other member to check the old man or try and help him back up.

So, do both sentences refer to the same Union or two different Unions?

[Marcuse]

54. Same union.

The PBA’s withdrawal of legal fees benefits was a business decision, not a humanitarian one.

[Steelrolled]

70. I thought is was a joint action by the union and rank-and-file

to stop doing protest duty. In other words, the cops lose legal protection for that work, so they stop doing it. Just my guess.

[Grins]

76. So many lawsuits the premiums went through the roof?

Could be. Some Employers gave up on 100% health insurance coverage because it got too costly.

[Grins]

77. So many lawsuits the premiums went through the roof?

Could be. Some Employers gave up on 100% health insurance coverage because it got too costly.

[NoMoreRepugs]

46. Mr. Evans has incredibly poor estimation - if you or I did that it would be ASSAULT.

[OnlinePoker]

48. And, if the person died, manslaughter. n/t

[yardwork]

49. Fuck. Them. I hope the people of Buffalo respond.

[Miguelito Loveless]

50. I thought nothing could be more evil that the policeman who shoved

the civilian over backwards and injured him severely.

The the union guy showed up.

I stand corrected.

[RGTIndy]

52. Well... bye.

[flibbitygiblets]

53. If that man had shoved the officer instead of the other way around, he'd have been arrested.

The police wouldn't have accepted "he slipped" as an excuse. End of story.

[LisaL]

56. I agree. If a guy pushed a cop and cop fell to the ground like this,

I doubt the guy would have been walking around free.

[AllyCat]

58. As one poster at Twitter said:

“Sometimes it’s a bad orchard”.

Good riddance to them.

[BadgerMom]

59. Good.

We can SEE what those officers did. Let the whole department resign. Hire an all-black department. My patience for this is non-existent.

[samplegirl]

62. Slip my ass

Roll the tape!

[Ohioboy]

63. What a coincidence- he slipped and fell backwards just as he was being shoved to the ground

What a bunch of liars.

[Golden Raisin]

64. Only surprised Trump hasn't already invited

all of them for luncheon at the White House.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

65. Duplicate you can see in the LBT column two below your post.

[Cha]

67. The one officer shoved the man to ground and they all walked

right past him like he was a piece of trash.

Who wants anyone in that unit like that, anyway?

[olddad65]

68. Now Barr can justify sending in his gestapo

[Jarqui]

69. "He did slip in my estimation. He fell backwards."

Another cop lying as if we can't see the video with our own eyes.

Like the Covid doctors in Russia who slipped out windows and fell to their death after trying to raise the alarm?

Anyone who has received any guidance from medical/nursing home people (or anyone with common sense) knows that the elderly are fragile. CDC "Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults age 65 and older."

So you do NOT fucking push them!!! Ever.

That 75 year old man was pushed over. Period.

If they're that dishonest and ignorant, fire the whole department and start over.
The people of Buffalo will be better off in the long run.

[bluestarone]

71. These ASSHOLES! 2 guilty of assault AND

ALL the rest are GUILTY of refusing aid to an injured person!!! They should ALL be FIRED!!!

[liberalmuse]

72. Will there even be riots without riot police to provoke and incite?

It will be interesting to note.

[orleans]

73. THEY WALKED BY, THEY SAW THAT MAN AND KEPT FUCKING WALKING!

at least those assholes near the front of their squad saw him and saw the commotion and what happened

AND THEY KEPT FUCKING MOVING. NO ONE HELPED.

FUCK THEM ALL! IF THEY ARE SO FUCKING HEARTLESS AND SOULLESS THEY ARE PIECES OF SHIT WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SERVICE!

FUCK THEM ALL!
FIRE THEM ALL!

(sorry for yelling--i'm just so sick of seeing this kind of shit i feel like my head could explode!)

[Grins]

74. Gee. What would Ronald Reagan say about that?

This:

“...if they do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated.” - Ronald Reagan, 03 August 1981, referring to air traffic controllers.

He didn’t give a shit. Neither should the city of Buffalo.

I like air traffic controllers. I like unions. But I’m starting to despise police unions, the only unions Republicans like.

[Hekate]

75. Good start, imo. Now quit the PD altogether.

[Coventina]

78. FTP & ACAB

[jayfish]

79. And Nothing Of Value Was Lost. -NT-

[LogicFirst]

80. When unions go bad

[Omaha Steve]

81. After a review by forum hosts....LOCKING

Dupe. See the earlier post here: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142508273

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