Incidents

    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 248

    Date Aug 28, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Description

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

    Address Hertel Avenue
    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
     

    Incident 34

    Date Jun 28, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Michael A. Delong
    Description

    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.

    Address Connecticut Street
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 249

    Date Jun 08, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Description

    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!!"

    Address Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 33

    Date Jun 04, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Aaron M. Torgalski , Robert J. Mccabe Iii , John Losi
    Description

    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.

    Address Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 40

    Date Jun 01, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Charlan Mitchell
    Description

    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.

    Address Bailey Ave
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 250

    Date Jun 01, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Description

    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.

    Address Bailey Avenue
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 19

    Date Jun 01, 2020
    Department Burlington Police Department
    Officers William J. Drinkwine
    Description

    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.

    Address Swanton, VT
     

    Incident 227

    Date May 30, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Scott H. Becker
    Description

    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.

    Address Niagara Street
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 236

    Date May 30, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Description

    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.

    Address Niagara Square
    Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 149

    Date May 28, 2020
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Christopher J. Iacuzzi
    Description

    Damaged a police car

    Outcome

    Reprimand

    Address Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 25

    Date May 10, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Ronald J. Ammerman , Michael C. Scheu , Byron C. Lockwood , John M. Davidson , Russell R. Sullivan
    Description

    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.

    Address Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 73

    Date May 06, 2020
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Joseph E. Briganti
    Description

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

    Address Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 186

    Date Apr 01, 2020
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Thomas J. Lisle
    Description

    Court docket Forbes v. City of Rochester et al allegedly names officer Thomas Lisle. The Case Number is 6:2021cv06457 and the Nature of Suit is Prisoner: Civil Rights

    Address Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 158

    Date Mar 31, 2020
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Michael E. Perkowski
    Description

    Lt. Perkowski was allegedly involved in the cover-up of the murder of a civilian

    Address Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 239

    Date Mar 25, 2020
    Department Buffalo Police Department
    Officers Kevin J. Murphy , Courtney A. Sumbrum , Joseph D. Mccarthy , Andrew Ferrentino , Edward L. Byrd , Samantha Negron
    Description

    Officer Kevin Murphy arrested Lakisha Neal, 42, on March 25, 2020. Body camera footage shows Murphy grabbing Neal, cursing and twice spraying her with pepper spray while other officers do nothing to intervene other than telling Neal to cooperate.

    “Get in the car or get sprayed!” Murphy demands after grabbing Neal by the arm and forcing her to a patrol car. Murphy deploys pepper spray after Neal says she’s pregnant.

    “Will y’all listen to me?” Neal asked seconds before Murphy sprayed her. As tears from the first spraying run down Neal’s face, Murphy sprayed again after Neal tells him that she can’t breathe.

    Neal was arrested and charged with making a false report, obstruction, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest.

    Outcome

    All charges against Neal were dismissed.

    Officer Murphy was terminated from his role as a police officer. An arbitrator upheld the Buffalo Police Department's firing of Murphy for excessive force and falsely stating that Neal had admitted telling a dispatcher that a gun was at the address. The arbitrator found that Murphy knew that Neal didn’t have a gun and that he’d failed to use de-escalation techniques.

    However, the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association is asking the arbitrator to overturn the decision reached after Murphy collected more than $276,000 in salary from the city while his disciplinary case was pending. Erie County Supreme Court documents dating to 2013 show no other cases of either the city or the police union asking a judge to reverse an arbitrator’s decision on whether an officer should be fired.

    The union during arbitration proceedings argued that Murphy didn't use excessive force and did not deserve termination. Officers aren’t prohibited from cuffing or deploying pepper spray on pregnant women, the union maintained, and Murphy testified that women seeking leniency sometimes lie about being pregnant, according to arbitration records filed by the union in the lawsuit.

    Address Buffalo, NY
     

    Incident 214

    Date Mar 23, 2020
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Michael Magri
    Description

    Magri was one of the seven Rochester Police Department officers suspended due to their involvement in the arrest of Daniel Prude

    Outcome

    suspension

    Address Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 148

    Date Mar 23, 2020
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Michael Houlihan
    Description

    Allegedly involved in the cover up of the murder of a civilian

    Address Jefferson Ave
    Rochester, NY
     

    Incident 163

    Date Feb 23, 2020
    Department Rochester Police Department
    Officers Gregory E. Bello
    Description

    Bello was at the scene as civilian was brutalized, resulting in his death, and did nothing to intervene in the horrific violence, nor reported it. Nor did Bello or speak out about it after, becoming part of a widespread coverup.

    Outcome

    No charges have been brought against any of the officers directly involved or those who stood by, or those who knew of the extreme brutality and did not report it.

    Address Jefferson Ave
    Rochester, NY