Willie Henley was shot in the abdomen by Buffalo police. "Put your bat down," calls out one officer with a gun pointed at Henley. "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."

On September 7, 2020 Alexis Rivera was shot while on Wyoming Ave. He subsequently spent several days at ECMC. When Buffalo Police responded to the scene of the shooting, Rivera’s vehicle was impounded. It was eventually searched, and inside, police say they found approximately 13 ounces of cocaine.

Later, prosecutors say Kevin Biggs, former Buffalo Police Detective donned police attire and falsely presented himself as an officer, entered the impound lot on Dart St. in order to obtain the vehicle. During that time, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said Biggs provided forged paperwork while trying to acquire it.

Prosecutors also said that Biggs entered the Buffalo police garage on Seneca St. two additional times, but did not have permission to be there. During one occasion, they say he had bolt cutters.

Rivera was accused of going to the police garage with the same falsified paperwork allegedly used by Biggs after Biggs left on one of those days.

Outcome

Kevin Biggs, 51, the former detective who also served as an East Aurora village trustee, faced charges of criminal trespassing, criminal possession of a forged instrument, criminal impersonation and possession of burglar tools.

Alexis Rivera, 25, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first and seventh degrees, criminal use of drug paraphernalia and two counts of forgery.

After their arraignments, Biggs left on his own recognizance, but Rivera had to post $75,000 bail. Biggs’ charges were non-qualifying offenses for bail.

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.

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.

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

Buffalo Police sit in their cars looking around clueless while a pair of armed white supremacists block traffic shouting racial slurs.

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

CW: Lieutenant Michael DeLong, was suspended after being videotaped directing a vile, misogynist insult at a woman outside a convenience store. DeLong called the woman a “disrespectful little fucking cunt” when she questioned how police were handling a man in distress outside the store who has a history of drug and mental health issues. The woman taking the video was upset about the size of the police response to the scene. DeLong was suspended the day after the June 28 incident for 30 days without pay for his insult, then, under state law, was returned to the payroll while remaining under suspension. He was paid about $63,000 while awaiting an arbitration hearing in which the city was expected to ask that DeLong be further disciplined or fired.

On June 24th, 2020, a handful of people were gathered at Niagara Square as part of a multi-day peaceful protest in response to police brutality. While exercising their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble, Buffalo police officers arrived at Niagara Square around 2:00 am and began unlawfully arresting the protestors.

Outcome

Each protestor was charged with violations of two City of Buffalo ordinances, laws or regulations, section 309-15[A], sleeping in "any park or park approach," and 309-25[A], remaining in a park, playground, or public school ground beyond open hours, a non-criminal offense punishable as a "Class C fine in the amount of $52.50."

Niagara Square is neither a "park," "park approach," "playground," nor a "public school ground" as defined in the Buffalo City Code, such that the sections 309-15[A] and 309-25[A] would apply to the protestors and prohibit their otherwise protected right of assembly at Niagara Square. Subsequently, in Buffalo City Court, all charges were dismissed for facial insufficiency.

The case was settled for $31,5000.

According to Buffalo News, forty-seven out of fifty-seven arrests made during George Floyd / BLM protests in the summer of 2020 were either dismissed or "given adjournments" and were considered for dismissal. Very few went all the way through court proceedings.

The Buffalo Police Commissioner suspended Robert Marth, a man who worked as police dispatcher. The suspension came after Marth made the following comments on FaceBook: "Enough is enough !!! What is going on is uncalled for.. FUCKEN WILD ANIMALS ... and what do you do to an animal that's rabid out of control you take it out !! Mayor stop being a patsy to these fucks and give the order !!! Allow the officers to shoot to kill!!"

CW: While at a Black Lives Matter protest, 75-year old peace activist Martin Gugino approached a line of riot police stopping in front of the them to talk, one officer yelled “push him back”; one officer pushed his arm into Gugino’s chest, while another extended his baton toward him with both hands. Gugino feel backward, with blood immediately leaking from his right ear. An officer leaned down to examine him, but another officer then pulled the first officer away. Several other officers walked by Gugino, motionless on the ground, without checking on him.

Outcome

The two officers were immediately suspended by Buffalo Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood. An Internal Affairs investigation was completed. The District Attorney's office of John Flynn charged the two officers that pushed Gugino with felony assault. However, a grand jury chose not to indict. Martin is continuing to litigate a civil suit against the City of Buffalo.

In July, an off-duty Drinkwine entered the home of his ex-girlfriend, who called the police, telling them Drinkwine was not allowed in her home.

Myles Carter, a young Black man, was tackled from behind by Buffalo police and arrested while he was being interviewed by the news media on Bailey Avenue during a protest. The trumped up charges that followed included second-degree obstruction of governmental administration, a misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct, a violation. The charges were later dropped.

Buffalo Police and National Guard swarm in to beat and arrest some people. After firing tear gas and obstructing the view, they then run away as an SUV drives through them and hits at least one officer.

Police fired pepper balls at freelance photographer Andrew Jasiura and an officer tried to grab his camera while he was reporting on protests in Buffalo, New York, on May 30, 2020.

Police began to attempt to clear the square by firing nonlethal projectiles and advancing in a line. One officer asked Jasiura why he was taking pictures, and Jasiura said he pointed to his bright yellow vest that said “PRESS” in English and Cantonese (Jasiura had previously covered demonstrations in Hong Kong).

The photographer subsequently tried to come to the aid of a black man who had been hit with mace and pepper balls. “He was just pouring mucus out of his face, out of his nose, his mouth, his eyes. His whole face was red,” Jasiura said. Jasiura tried to wash the protester’s eyes out with saline spray, at which point officers shot pepper balls at him, even though his press vest was clearly visible.

During a protest in support of Black Lives Matter on May 30th, 2020 thousands of Buffalo residents gathered at Niagara square against the persistent police violence and brutality both locally and across the county. In reaction to the righteous anger and residents expressing their first amendment rights, United States Marshals, Homeland Security Investigation Officers, Immigration Customs Enforcements Officers, Federal Protective Service Officers, New York State Police Officers, Amherst Police Officers, and Buffalo Police Officers lined up along the Federal Courthouse in head to toe riot gear standing shoulder to shoulder along the courthouse steps. Police shot "less lethal" rounds, tear gas, and mace at protesters.

At approximately 6:45 PM a protestor who was 18 years old at the time threw a water bottle at one of the officers in the face who was protected by riot gear, including a helmet with a shield. After a week of protests, a United States Marshal obtained body cam footage from Buffalo Police. Screen shots from the footage were provided to the Erie Crime Analysis Center. Those images were then run through facial recognition databases which identified the individual who threw the water bottle. A deputy United States Marshal then found the protester on social media and made the erroneous determination that because he had images of himself with a blue jacket and shoes he was associated with the Crips gang. The deputy also surveilled the protestors house and observed him enter and exit his house wearing the same backpack he wore during the May 30th protest.

Based this alleged act during the protest and the associated alleged evidence, a criminal complaint was filed against the protester for violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1), for knowingly and forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating or interfering with a person designated in Title 18, United States Code, Section 1114 while engaged in on account of the performance of official duties and such acts involved physical contact with the victim.

The protestor pled guilty to a one count Misdemeanor Information charging the above violation. The protester served 7 months in custody and 1 year probation. He was also required to mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, drug testing, and domestic violence program. Four month into supervised release, probation petitioned the District court for additional conditions of supervision. One of those conditions was electronic monitoring with a curfew of 8:00 PM. The protestor had to cover the cost for such monitoring and for the other treatment programs. The final condition imposed was the requirement to go to a halfway house for two month and obey the rules and regulations of the halfway house.

On May 30, 2020, two peaceful protesters were forcibly shoved and assaulted by the Emergency Response Team(ERT) while they were standing with raised firsts in Niagara Square. In an interview, one protester reported that she suffered a fractured rib and a welt as a result of being assaulted by members of the ERT.

Damaged a police car

Outcome

Reprimand

CW: Quentin Suttles sustained serious personal injuries when Buffalo Police Officers used excessive force and brutally beat Mr. Suttles after pulling him over and arresting him.

An individual filed a civil rights claim against the city of Rochester and several police officers, including Briganti