Graphic footage shows police officers swarming the area in front of City Hall in Buffalo, New York right after its 8 p.m. curfew went into effect on Thursday. As police advance on protesters, a man with what looks like a smartphone in his hand approaches the officers leading the procession in an attempt to confront them.

It’s unclear from the video what the man tells the policemen, clad in full riot gear, but the face-off did not last long before he is forcefully pushed by the officers, losing his balance and falling back-first onto the pavement. A trickle of blood could be seen flowing from his ear after the fall. As police call medics to the scene, the man appears to be unconscious, lying motionlessly in the same spot.

The video has spread like wildfire on social media, with many accusing police of an excessive use of force on the man, who did not appear to be threatening any of the officers in the first place.

The police department’s version of events – claiming the man simply “tripped and fell” on his own, according to Buffalo Toronto Public Media – turned out to be strikingly different from what can be seen on the footage and has only further fuelled the outrage. 

The protester was later taken by ambulance to hospital and is currently in stable condition after suffering what is being described as a “serious” injury to the head.

A total of five people were arrested for “disorderly conduct” as police broke up the Black Lives Matter protest in the area.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!