Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown blasted the Buffalo police union on CNN Friday, blaming it for the 57 members of the Buffalo Police Department’s Emergency Response Team who resigned from the special unit.

The resignation follows Thursday night’s incident in Niagara Square. However, those officers have not resigned from the department.

"The police union indicated if the officers continued to participate in that unit, they would lose the support of the police benevolent association in Buffalo,” Brown said. “The Buffalo police union is on the wrong side of history. They are wrong in this situation. They have been a barrier to further police reform in the city of Buffalo. "

Spectrum News obtained emails from the president to union members, which said going forward, the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association would not pay for ERT or swat members’ legal defense related to protests.

The letter said the officers did nothing wrong, and they did not deserve to be vilified.

A later letter seems to change course, stating those officers are victims and clarified the PBA will fund their defense.

However, it cannot afford to pay for defense if “they are going to bring charges against our members carte blanche.”

Earlier, the PBA president told Spectrum News the officers' resignation is out of support for the suspended officers, as well as disgust with the administration.

He has not returned our most recent requests for comment.

Of course, protests have been going on for days in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Hundreds of people came out Friday in Buffalo in response to that now-viral video of the officers pushing Martin Gugino. He is in serious but stable condition.

Mayor Brown maintains the city had, and implemented contingency plans after the ERT officers resigned to make sure the city stayed safe.