Two Buffalo police officers who pushed a 75-year-old man to the ground during a protest on Thursday have been charged with assault.

Both men were suspended without pay following the incident, which was caught on video and went viral.

The video showed the two officers shoving the man, who was later identified as Martin Gugino.

He hit his head which then began to bleed. He is now said to be in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

In a hearing on Saturday both mean pleaded not guilty to second-degree assault and were released without bail.

The ruling comes on the same day the rest of the Emergency unit resigned in protest against the unpaid suspensions.