ALBANY, N.Y. — Governor Andrew Cuomo discussed in his Friday news conference the protester who was seriously injured after being pushed by police on Thursday night. Cuomo said that he has spoken with the protester injured.
Cuomo said he was "sick to my stomach" when he saw the video out of Buffalo; the same feeling he has had every night hearing the death toll from coronavirus.
Cuomo said that he believes the Buffalo Police should pursue firing the officers involved and that the District Attorney should see if there are criminal charges for this conduct.
"Who are we? How did we get to this place?" Cuomo said in the news conference, talking about acts of police brutality that had been recorded, such as Thursday's incident in Buffalo.
Cuomo also applauded Mayor Byron Brown for the immediate suspension of police officers.
"People see this. People see the facts," Cuomo said.
Cuomo said that New York should lead the way for police reforms.
Cuomo announced the "Say Their Name" reform agenda, which is named in after the movement to remember the names of people killed or injured by police.
The reform has four parts:
- Transparency of prior disciplinary records, a change to New York Civil Rights Law section 50-a
- Banning chokeholds by law enforcement
- False race-based 911 reports should be a hate crime
- Attorney General should act as an independent prosecutor for police murders
Cuomo added that this is not a question or public safety versus civil rights, or police safety versus protester safety, this is for the safety and well-being of both.
Cuomo added that everyone, police and protesters, should assume that they are being taped and that video could be reviewed by the District Attorney.