Femi Ashekun/
US President Donald Trump has justified the reported assault on a 75-year-old man by the police in Buffalo while taking part in a protest over the killing of an African American, George Floyd.
Floyd was reportedly killed in cold blood by a white policeman, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck for close to nine minutes in a bid to arrest him for allegedly spending a fake dollar bill in the US city of Minneapolis.
Chauvin is currently facing a second degree murder charge, while three fellow officers who were present at the scene are also facing charges for their roles in the killing.
The video of the elderly protester, identified as Martin Gugino, being brutally pushed to the ground by some policemen made headlines across the world, with many condemning the action.
The septuagenarian is reportedly still in the hospital with a cracked skull.
But Trump in a tweet early today justified the action of the police by suggesting that the victim’s actions put the officers in grave danger.
Though, video of the incident shows that the man was holding something that looks like a police helmet, Trump claimed he held a scanner with which he appeared to be scanning police equipment.
See video:
Trump also accused the victim of exaggerating the impact of the push by the police by “falling harder than pushed”.
Trump wrote, “Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?”