CW: On the night of April 19th, when John Willet, a 22 year old Black man, was driving, he noticed a car was following him. Fearing that it may be someone meaning to do him harm, he sped away. The car following him turned out to be undercover police car, which pursued Willet to Ontario and Philadelphia Streets. Willet parked his vehicle, got out and ran across the street where he willingly surrendered. Willet reported that he stood there with his hands in the air when a Buffalo Police Officer punched him and threw him down to the ground. Buffalo Police Officer John Cirulli and Nicholas Militello along with four other officers kneed and punched Willet while trying to apprehend him. John Cirulli kicked and punched Willet while he was handcuffed and laying face down, pleading for them to stop.

Outcome

On April 28, 2014, officers were placed on administrative leave. On April 29, 2014, BPD suspended John Cirulli from duty without pay for violating departmental rules and regulations. On May 29, 2014, he resigned his position with the Buffalo Police Department and pleaded guilty to two federal misdemeanor civil rights violations. He was sentenced to 12 months probation.

On April 15, 2015, Willet filed a lawsuit against him, Militello, the Buffalo Police Department, the city of Buffalo, Jeffrey Rinaldo and another defendant. Judge Richard J. Arcara dismissed the case.

"Officer stopped and frisked a person known to the department without sufficient legal authority."

New African American recruit was reprimanded/suspended for 20 days for asking for fries at Arby's without paying for them, for violating . He alleged that the day before at Perri's Pizza he was told by his training officer that they never have to pay there.

Outcome

20 day suspension

Police officers Corey Krug and Joseph Hassett assaulted and detained Rickey Spencer for a violation of NYS V&T Law 1236 Lamps and Other Equipment on Bicycles in that he did not have a light or reflector on his bicycle. Spencer required surgery on his arm due to the assault.

Goodfriend shot an individual in the back. According to the Dem & Chronicle the police claimed the individual was armed, fled and turned to display the gun to officers. Goodfriend was assigned to administrative duty

Outcome

None

According to video, Lucas Krull hit the victim in the head and wrestled her to the ground after she told him and other officers she was pregnant.

Outcome

the victim was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 5 years probation for injuring Krull while he arrested her. On September 20th, her bail was increased from $7,500 to $25,000. The officers received no consequences, and Police Chief James Sheppard praised the officers' “restraint”.

According to ROC IndyMedia, RPD Officers Baldauf and Harris were dispatched to a non-violent domestic dispute incident where an individual and his girlfriend were splitting up. When the individual asked Officer Baldauf a question, Officers Baldauf and Harris responded by beating the individual repeatedly. The incident was partly caught on video by cameras at the individual's home.

Outcome

4 charges dismissed, 4 still pending

According to Wikipedia and D&C an individual was shot multiple times and survived after a high speed chase and shootout with police according to D&C. The individual filed an excessive use of force suit against Gorman, Balch and Rizzo and the officers moved for summary judgement and Individual did not respond to the motion. The motion was granted and complain dismissed.

According to the defendant officers, plaintiff continued to scuffle and was sprayed in the face with pepper spray by Officer Marone. Plaintiff was ultimately taken to the ground with one officer on each side of her performing a hold, after which she was handcuffed. When plaintiff complained of asthma symptoms, she was transported by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital. Plaintiff alleges this was a false arrest.

RPD officer Christopher Burgstrom was responding to a dispute at someone's home. When the homeowner's dog came out the front door, Brugstrom allegedly told the owner to "get your dog" and then shot and killed the dog.

According to Rodriguez v. City of Rochester, Officer Mason and three other officers participated in a multi-agency warrant detail along with probation officers. Officer Mason allegedly saw the victim running straight down a steeply pitched roof. Another officer announced he was with law enforcement and directed the victim to come down off the roof. According to Officer Mason, the victim did not heed his instructions and continued descending the roofline, grabbing onto the fire escape ladder with one hand. The victim states, upon seeing that the building was surrounded by law enforcement officers, he decided to end his flight and began climbing down from the roof via a fire escape. According to the victim, one or more of the officers allegedly pulled him off the fire escape, which caused a portion of one of his fingers to be severed. The victims states he remained on the ground until he was moved by the officers whom allegedly struck him on his head and body.

Outcome

Two of the officers motions for dismissal were granted after the victim did not oppose the dismissal from his action. Victims causes for actions against Mason, the city, and one other officer remain.

Police busted down a door of a Breckenridge apartment belonging to Iraqi War combat veteran, Sgt. Adam Arroyo in Buffalo looking for drugs. In the process, the police shot Arroyo's dog Cindy multiple times, killing the dog.

Police claim they read his address wrong. They meant to raid the upstairs front apartment at 304 Breckenridge St, but they became confused and raided the rear apartment. Busting down Arroyo’s door, they found that he was not at home. His dog Cindy, a pit bull, was tethered to the sink in the kitchen.

Detective Joseph Cook, accompanied by a SWAT team of police, chose to stand beyond the length of tether and shoot Cindy, as opposed to wasting the time it would take to get animal control into the house and place the dog in a kennel.

After Cindy was shot, animal control arrived and unloosened her from her bloodied leash. The impact of the bullet had thrown the dog, and it had become entangled around her neck. They were inconvenienced as they unwound her leash and untethered her, removing her carcass in a body bag.

Without realizing it was not the apartment named on the search warrant, police were inconvenienced as they ransacked the apartment. Blood from the dog got on their boots and, despite wiping it off on the carpet, they spread it all over the apartment. Some of it stuck like plague to their boots.

Lieutenant Jeremy Anzalone wrote an internal correspondence on 05-08-13 about a meeting he held with Officer Anthony Liberatore and Sgt Kenneth Coniglio about Liberatore's use of an elbow strike to the face of the man who was thrown from his wheelchair by RPD officers (see link to source correspondence in sources section). Anzalone was not involved in the incident.

Outcome

No evidence from the correspondence whether Jeremy Anzalone was involved in the decision of whether or not to discipline the officers.

According Davy V. , Boskat stopped a man with a broken ankle on his bike , because as he "looked like a white guy with a black shirt" reported to have been "looking in cars" at Frontier Field. The man had pepper spray and a small knife, both were legal for the man to have. He tells the man he is "danger to him", even though the man willingly handed over the pepper spray and the knife. Officer Boskat does realize he has the “wrong man” at some point but decided to issue the man a ticket for not having a bell on his bicycle.

Outcome

none found

According to 50A database, Officer Johnson illegally arrested and strip searched a citizen standing outside Callahan's Bar near Meigs and Monroe Ave, then droppped him back off nearby after not finding drugs, then rearrested him after he refused to leave the area. Violation of procedure, failure to obtain a warrant, and illegal search

Outcome

Reprimand

Allegedly brawled at a bar while off-duty

Outcome

Lost vacation days

According to https://casetext.com/case/williams-v-carpenter-3 , there was a civil suit filed against Julie Carpenter for false imprisonment, negligence, illegal search and seizure, due process, and defamation.

Outcome

Charges against Julie Carpenter dismissed.

According to the NY Daily Record Gonazalez and another officer shot a man after he resisted an eviction. According to Rev James Simmons D&C letter multiple reports indicate the victim was armed only with bleach. According to Davy V's blog and tweets by Gary Craig the police did not mention a knife in their press conference then later claimed the victim was armed with a knife.

RPD officer Chris Burgstrom was responding to a missing dog report when he allegedly killed a dog with a shotgun after claiming it charged at him.

According to an official compliant and court document, an individual fled from a vehicle and was chased on foot by officers. He complied and was lying face down on the ground when more officers arrived and they all began to beat him-kicking, punching and using objects to inflict bodily harm. Cornell was among the officers involved. The victim was then taken to jail and held there.

Outcome

Cardell filed a lawsuit a c requested a jury trial, however there are no documents indicating this request was granted or any disciplinary action was taken or investigation conducted