Incidents

    Incident 229

    Date Feb 24, 2024
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Joshua Slupinski , Andrew Lewis
    Description

    Two Buffalo Police Officers fired 20 rounds at Edward Holmes, hitting him twice after Holmes attempted to fire one round and lowered his 12-gauge shotgun. While officers told Holmes to put down the gun several times, no other de-escalation tactics were used. The round Holmes tried to fire from the shotgun got jammed in the receiver, which is why Holmes lifted his gun to a 45-degree angle to remove the lodged bullet.

    Holmes, who died at the scene, just minutes earlier had called the Ferry-Fillmore District police station from his cellphone to warn of an armed man in the road.

    Both officers have been placed on administrative leave. Lewis has been with the department for 18 months, Gramaglia said, while Slupinski is a five-year veteran.

    Address Reed Street
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 223

    Date Sep 23, 2023
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Kereem Johnson , Tyler Baxter
    Description

    Officers responded to a an attempted suicide call at Tonawanda St. Jon Battison, a 36-year-old man, had a long pellet gun pointed at his own head and never pointed it at police.

    Battison asked the officers if they were going to shoot him because he has a gun pointed at his own head. After, officers yelled at Battison to put the pellet gun down, no other attempt at deescalation was made.

    One of the officers said he was going to shoot. "OK," Battison responded, still holding the pellet gun pointed at his own head.

    The department's Behavioral Health Team, a unit where mental health clinicians work with police officers, was not working at the time of this call.

    Battison was taken by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center, where he was listed in critical but stable condition and was held in police custody, with charges on criminal possession of weapons.

    The officer was temporarily placed on administrative leave and faced no charges.

    Address Tonawanda St
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 238

    Date Aug 29, 2023
    Time 10:30 AM
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Description

    A 30-year-old man was allegedly attempting to leave a CVS store with items he didn't pay for. Officers responded to the 1600 block of Elmwood Avenue around 10:30 a.m. The security guard shot the man, hitting him in the hand. He was transported to ECMC for what according to police were non-life-threatening injuries.

    Address Elmwood Ave
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 222

    Date Mar 05, 2023
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers James R. Mcandrew
    Description

    James McAndrew was accused of grabbing a 32-year-old man – against whom accusations of domestic violence were made, but who has not been charged – and shoving him into the side of a staircase, damaging the railings. McAndrew allegedly pushed a woman who tried to get between him and the other man, according to court documents.

    McAndrew was arrested and temporarily suspended by the department without pay. He pled not guilty and was released on his own recognizance, according to court records. He was charged with two misdemeanors – fourth-degree criminal mischief and second-degree trespassing – as well as second-degree harassment, a violation.

    Address Weyand Avenue
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 243

    Date Sep 21, 2022
    Time 08:20 AM
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers James R. Kaska
    Description

    A retired Buffalo police detective was charged with multiple misdemeanors related to a domestic violence incident in Lake View.

    James R. Kaska, 50, of Hamburg was arraigned on charges of second-degree menacing, fourth-degree criminal mischief and second-degree harassment before Hamburg Town Court Justice Carl W. Morgan.

    According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office, at about 8:20 a.m. Kaska allegedly hid inside a woman's vehicle that was parked in a driveway. Police had previously asked Kaska to leave the home following a domestic incident.

    Prosecutors say Kaska then confronted the victim inside the car and she tried to leave at which point he pushed her back in the car, hit her arm and held her wrists. He is also accused of taking her cellphone away as she tried to call 911. The Hamburg police department investigated the case.

    Address Hamburg, NY
     

    Incident 221

    Date May 02, 2022
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Amber M. Beyer
    Description

    Buffalo Police Captain and head the Behavioral Health Team Amber Beyer read aloud a Facebook post by a mentally ill resident that the behavioral team was going to check on. In the post, the resident freely used a racial slur that targets Black people and Beyer yelled out the word as she read the post to members of her team,

    In her racist rant, Beyer said Black cops were more likely to cheat on their wives than white cops and she’d be suspicious if she saw a Black man in her neighborhood. She claimed white police officers suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from working in Black neighborhoods, but Black officers did not, because they were more accustomed to violent crime. Beyer told Black officers they should try to understand how the criminality of Black people justified some racism.

    The claims are detailed in a lawsuit filed in federal court by two Buffalo police officers and a civilian mental health clinician. According to the lawsuit, Beyer offered these opinions on May 2 in the Behavioral Health Team’s office in police headquarters on Court Street.

    Beyer was put on a 30-day unpaid suspension. She no longer heads the Behavioral Health Team which she led, which pairs police officers with mental health clinicians to respond to calls regarding people having mental health crises. The civil rights complaint is still being litigated.

    Address Court St
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 220

    Date Mar 14, 2022
    Time 04:45 AM
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Philip I. Edwards , Michael Ramos
    Description

    30-year-old Dominique Thomas experienced a mental health crisis and was shot by two Buffalo police officers multiple times outside his apartment building on Hertel Avenue.

    Address Hertel Avenue
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 129

    Date Feb 23, 2021
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Josiah C. Harris
    Description

    According to the Sun, Harris was involved in the asphyxiation of victim, a black man who died after Rochester authorities placed a hood over his head and pressed his face into the ground.

    Address Jefferson Ave near West Main Ave
    Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 74

    Date Jan 29, 2021
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Adam K. Bradstreet
    Description

    Bradstreet was involved in the pepper spraying and use of extreme force of a nine-year old child who was in the midst of a mental health crisis. The episode was filmed by multiple body cameras and brought nationwide attention to the troubling abuse. Four officers were involved.

    Outcome

    All four officers have been suspended or placed on administrative leave. Bradstreet, with the department 4.5 years, is currently on administrative leave. RPD Chief Cynthia Herriot-Sullivan and the Locust Club have defended the actions as 'necessary.'

    Address Avenue B
    Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 185

    Date Jan 29, 2021
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Alexander Lombard
    Description

    According to D&C, Lombard pepper sprayed 9 year old girl while in custody in the back of a police car

    Outcome

    Suspended with pay

    Address Avenue B
    Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 184

    Date Jan 29, 2021
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Alexander Lombard
    Description

    The Democrat & Chronicle said Lombard sprayed a chemical irritant in the face of a 9-year-old Black girl as she was handcuffed in the back of a police car.

    Outcome

    Suspension with pay

    Address Harris St
    Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 205

    Date Jan 14, 2021
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Todd R. Wassinger
    Description

    RPD arrested Abdul Hadi in a "traffic stop" to prevent him from reaching his home after his wife, Aqueelah El Bey called him for help as CPS violated their rights by calling RPD to raid their home to remove their children from the home for "Educational Neglect."

    BWC footage: https://youtu.be/9hrV8eeztzg

    Officer Wassinger deliberately turns off his body worn camera at the 47:54 mark. The time stamp jumps from 13:12:42 to 13:13:00. This arrest is done in conjunction with Officer Dylan Minnick (Badge #2024) who also deliberately turned off his body-worn camera twice during this arrest. See Officer Minnick's record for more details.

    Address Webster Ave
    Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 209

    Date Jan 14, 2021
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Dylan D. Minnick
    Description

    RPD arrested Abdul Hadi during a traffic stop as a means to prevent him from reaching his house when his wife, Aqueelah El Bey, called him for help when CPS misused police to do a raid on their home to remove their children for "Educational Neglect."

    Body-worn camera footage located at: https://youtu.be/9hrV8eeztzg

    Officer Dylan Minnick deliberately turned off his body-worn camera at two instances during this arrest interaction. In the BWC footage, Minnick turns his camera off at the:
    a) 12:41 minute marker, the time stamp jumps from 13:12:42 to 13:16:45.
    b) 13:58 minute marker, the time stamp jumps from 13:18:02 to13:20:41.

    Officer Todd Wassinger was also involved in this arrest and he also deliberately turned off body-worn camera at one instance.

    Address Webster Ave
    Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 20MP006929

    Date Dec 05, 2020
    Time 01:45 PM
    Report # 20MP006929
    Department Montpelier Police Department
    Officers Diane Mathews , Katy Purcell White , Jeff Pearson
    Description

    Disturbance at Statehouse. Montpelier Police allegedly did not assist a child that was being assaulted by Trump Supporters. State's Attorney will not file charges and recommends the case be resolved through a restorative justice program.

    Address State Street
    Montpelier, VT
     

    Incident 32

    Date Sep 28, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers John M. Davidson , Andrew T. Moffett , Mark D. Ambellan
    Description

    Buffalo Police Officers John Davidson and Andrew Moffett were suspended for making false statements following a drug arrest. The statements formed the basis for the false arrest of Morgan Eaton on charges of possession of 30 grams of cocaine with intent to distribute. The alleged cocaine was his fiance's medicine. All field and laboratory tests on the pills proved that the pills were not cocaine.

    Address Strauss Street
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 39

    Date Sep 12, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Karl B. Schultz
    Description

    Willie Henley was shot in the abdomen by Buffalo police. "Put your bat down," calls out one officer with a gun trained on the man. "Nobody wants to hurt you." Henley, who continues to try to walk away from the group of more than half a dozen officers, some of whom have weapons drawn, responds, "I didn’t call y'all! I wasn’t doing nothing. I was by myself." Henley was known for carrying his baseball bat wherever he went, slept with it on street corners at night, and lined up for meals every day with it at the Buffalo City Mission. Those who regularly interacted with him described him as "very quiet, very peaceful."

    Address Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 42

    Date Sep 03, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Richard N. Hy
    Description

    An off-duty police officer, Richard Hy, hit and subded a Black man having a mental health crisis until other police arrived. No charges were filed and Hy was not suspended.

    Address Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 125

    Date Sep 03, 2020
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Amber L. Grosch
    Description

    According to a document filed in a lawsuit, Officer Amber Grosch was assaulting a protestor at a protest. The document says the incident was recorded by an individual who was soon after tackled to the ground by other RPD officers.

    Address Court St near South Ave
    Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 30

    Date Sep 01, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Marcus Rogowski
    Description

    Buffalo police order Black woman not to walk on same side of the street as white men

    Address Hertel Ave
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 75

    Date Aug 17, 2020
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Adam K. Bradstreet
    Description

    Bradstreet lost control of his vehicle as he rushed to a dispatched call of a stabbing, crashing into a street sign and damaging the car. There is no indication of injury. There are four items in the city database connected to this incident

    Address Portland near Council St
    Rochester, NY