Incident
| Date | May 25, 2025 |
| Department | Buffalo Police Department |
| Address | Buffalo, NY |
Incident Description
On the afternoon of Sunday May 25th, 2025 a Buffalo police patrol vehicle followed an ATV through Waterfront/Emerson Young Park in violation of the Buffalo police pursuit policy. The officer hit the driver of the ATV, knocking them off the vehicle.
Outcome
The Buffalo police department is protecting the identity of who was operating the vehicle that hit the ATV. An internal affairs investigation is now underway, so that the department can investigate itself.
Instead of disciplining the Buffalo police for hurting a Buffalo resident and violating their own written policy, city leaders have vowed to renew their focus on ways to deter ATV activity in the city. Instead of investing in street design or a race track so ATV's can be used safely, the city has passed a resolution criminalizing the sale of ATV's in the city.
Links
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Investigation launched after incident involving Buffalo police vehicle, ATV
“In accordance with standard procedure for incidents of this nature, an Internal Affairs investigation is underway to gather all relevant facts. We are committed to a thorough and impartial review and will provide updates as appropriate once the investigation is complete.” - Rob Petree | WIVB
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Oversight committee to review Buffalo Police ATV chase footage
Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon added, "That’s kind of removed from my purview. I don’t involve myself in internal affairs investigations. I haven't and I won't in the future. Those are strictly done within that department. We certainly want to make sure all of our officers are operating in the proper procedure so that everyone is safe," said the acting Mayor. - Alissa Clausell | WGRZ
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Buffalo police officers’ pursuit and crash into ATV sparks internal investigation
"There is no timeline for the current investigation." - Derek Heid | WKBW
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Buffalo city leaders weigh in on ATV incident
“I have been supportive of arresting and impounding the vehicles when people are driving them illegally in the City of Buffalo since Day One,” councilmember Golombek said. “I think each situation is different, and I think that we need to support the officers when they’re making decisions like this.” - Rob Petree | WIVB
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Buffalo Police Vehicle Pursuits
Buffalo Police
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Problems presented by police and vehicle pursuits
Police chases have been shown to increase danger and result in injury or fatalities to drivers, passengers, bystanders, and police. We offer the following recommendations: (1) Pass legislation to increase transparency (2) Ban high-speed police pursuits, with very narrow exceptions. - New York State Attorney General