June 5, 2020
Dear Commissioner Lockwood:
I am writing in regards to the footage that shows two officers of the Buffalo Police Department pushing an elderly man to the ground during a peaceful demonstration in Niagara Square yesterday evening.
It appears from a video recording of the incident that the man did not have a weapon, nor did he physically engage with any officer upon his approach. It also appears that excessive force was used on the victim. I understand from media accounts today that you have suspended (without pay) the two officers involved in this incident. Suspension is not enough. I urge you to fire the officers who were involved in this brutal, inhumane attack.
I also strongly encourage you to consider the impact of police brutality on the public’s trust. This incident could not have come at a worse time for our community. Tensions between the police and public are already strained, and the sight of officers refusing to offer aid as blood poured from the victim’s head onto the ground shocks the conscience.
I offer proactive support to you in finding productive measures toward reforming police use of force policies. The current system is hobbled by systemic racism and outmoded methods. I offer my assistance as public official who has made criminal justice reform the central part of my work. We must take an honest look at the use of force in the Buffalo Police Department and consider other options.
I have copied Erie County District Attorney John Flynn and New York State Attorney General Letitia James on this letter in the hope that they will provide information surrounding an investigation into the officers’ conduct and the prospect of assault charges being filed on the officers involved. This particular assault incident cannot be denied nor can justice be prolonged. The recording, captured by a member of our local media, demands we take immediate action.
Thank you for your immediate response in suspending the two officers. However, suspensions cannot be the extent of your action here. I am grateful to you for your daily sacrifices to protect the residents of our great city, and I pray fervently you will consider my offer and act on my request. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
April N. M. Baskin
Chair, Erie County Legislature
cc: Hon. Byron Brown, Mayor, City of Buffalo
Hon. John Flynn, Erie County District Attorney
Hon. Howard J. Johnson, Jr., Erie County Legislator and Chair of Public Safety Committee
Hon. Letitia James, New York State Attorney General
Hon. David Rivera, Buffalo Common Council, Chair of Committee on Police Oversight
Buffalo Police Advisory Board
