Officer Detail: Stephen R. Lesniak

On October 31st, 2021, at approximately 12:42 a.m., in front of

his friend’s home on Newfield Street, Andy Ocasio was filming an arrest taking place at that location.

Buffalo police officers Justin A Ayala, Daniel Carlson, Patrick Kinsella, Matthew Serafini, and Stephen Lesniak arrived on the scene and exited their police vehicle, grabbed Ocasio, and shoved him to the ground.

The police officers then beat Ocasio while he was on the ground, including sudden, violent kicks to the head, stomping on his head, and kneeing him and kneeling on his back, choking him, and spraying him with mace, and causing him to suffer serious injuries. None of the officers intervened. Lieutenant Erie Hofschnider, was the supervisor present at the scene of the incident during the assault, and also failed to interved.

While in police custody, Ocasio sustained serious injuries, including, facial trauma; significant hematoma of right eye; blurry vision of right eye; closed head injury; headaches; neck pain; and a laceration to his right cheek.