Martin Gugino, the 81-year-old activist who was violently shoved by Buffalo police during a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest, died last month in Tampa, Florida. The incident, captured on video, showed officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski pushing Gugino to the ground, causing a fractured skull and brain injury.

Gugino, who was 75 at the time, spent about a month in the hospital after the confrontation outside Buffalo City Hall. The video contradicted the police department's initial claim that he had "tripped & fell," sparking national outrage during the summer of protests following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

Despite charges of felony assault against the officers, a grand jury declined to indict them in 2021. An arbitrator later ruled their use of force was "absolutely legitimate" because Gugino was "not an innocent bystander." Gugino had filed a lawsuit against the city and police force in 2021, alleging constitutional rights violations and a cover-up attempt. His lawyers plan to continue the case posthumously.