SUV Plows Through Law Enforcers During Floyd Protests In Buffalo, Strikes Cops Before Speeding Off

An SUV carrying two people who were shot barreled into a group of law enforcement at a George Floyd protest Monday night in Buffalo, N.Y., and struck at least two cops before speeding off, authorities said.

The Associated Press referred to a video in which the incident was caught. It showed a group of officers, backed by an armored personnel carrier, scrambling to tackle a man while he was delivering a TV interview around 9:30 p.m. EST. The other officers, in the meanwhile, used batons to scatter the protesters.

Shortly after, several shots rang off-camera, and police officers were seen running as the vehicle advanced toward a cluster of cops. At least one officer was knocked under its wheels in the conduct.

The SUV then circled an armored vehicle and sped off as more gunfire sounded, the publication reported.

The officers were rushed to Erie County Medical Center where they were declared stable. One of the cops was from the New York State Police Department who suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries, the agency told Associated Press. The other cop was from the Buffalo Police Department.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told WGRZ-TV that the two passengers in the vehicle with gunshot wounds were shot elsewhere, and was receiving treatment for their own injuries. Michael DeGeorge, Buffalo Police Department spokesperson, told the publication that the two people were struck by gunfire on the same day but it was not clear if the shots came from police or others.

Mark Poloncarz, Erie County Sheriff’s Office Executive, told WIVB-TV that the person manning vehicle was in custody.

The incident stoked a tense scenario, with a police helicopter flying overhead and cops aboard armored vehicles spraying tear gas in a bid to thin out the protesters.

The protesters broke into several shops in the area, looting and vandalizing to no extent. One of the looted convenience stores had its windows smashed protective metal bars pulled aside, Associated Press reported.

Police officers trying to contain the George Floyd protesters from going berserk are occasionally ending up with unfavorable results. Two police officers were shot in separate incidents Tuesday in Las Vegas while trying to disperse the protesters. The condition of the officers wasn’t known. Police said the scene was active and asked people to avoid the area.