LeBron James Comments On Video Of 75-Year-Old Man Pushed Over By Police

LeBron James expressed outrage over a video showing two Buffalo police officers shoving a 75-year-old man who approached their line during a protest in New York on Thursday.

The man fell over backward and slammed his head onto the ground. As he bled from his head, multiple officers stepped past him.

"And I heard they put out a statement that he supposedly tripped and fell down," James tweeted Friday. "Man What!!!!! Don’t make no damn sense people. Don’t matter what color your skin is if you’re not angry seeing this you’re part of the problem too!"

And I heard they put out a statement that he supposedly tripped and fell down. Man What!!!!! Don’t make no damn sense people. Don’t matter what color your skin is if you’re not angry seeing this you’re part of the problem too! https://t.co/SLVXQ3xaNW
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 5, 2020

Two officers were reportedly suspended without pay after the video taken by a local radio station went viral. In support of those officers, 57 members of the department's Emergency Response Team then resigned, according to WGRZ.

"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, according to USA Today. "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."

The man, who was identified as Martin Gugino, was taken to the Erie County Medical Center, where he's in serious but stable condition, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncar tweeted Friday.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York denounced the officers' actions Thursday night.

“The incident in Buffalo is wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful,” Cuomo said in a statement. “I’ve spoken with City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and we agree that the officers involved should be immediately suspended. Police officers must enforce — not abuse — the law.”

There have been widespread protests across the nation over the last week following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man, died after white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over eight minutes despite him saying multiple times that he couldn't breathe.

Chauvin was arrested on charges of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The murder charge was elevated to second-degree murder on Wednesday.

The other three officers involved were charged with aiding and abetting murder on Wednesday.