CW // Police Violence

Around 12:30 AM on July 9th, Buffalo Police Officers Ronald Ammerman and Jonathan Crawford pulled over Dae'von Roberts, a 25 year old Black man, for speeding and having tinted windows on the East Side of Buffalo. Roberts was driving a family members vehicle and had a 6 year old in the front seat.

Ammerman asked Roberts for his license which he explained he didn't have. He did provide the officer with a photo of his Georgia State ID on his phone. The officer went back to the police vehicle to check the ID. When the officer returned, he told Roberts that it wasn't a valid driver's license in New York State, even though Roberts had explained he lived in Georgia.

Ammerman then told Roberts that he was going to run his name a different way. Without consent for a search, the officer proceeded to reach his arm through the open drivers side window and opened Robert's door. The officer continued to hold the door open and told Roberts to put his phone down. As Roberts put his phone down he put the vehicle in drive. The officer continued to hold onto the door that he had just opened as Roberts accelerated. Ammerman faught Roberts for control of the vehicle, pulled out his gun while still holding on to the vehicle, and fired multiple rounds towards Roberts and in the same direction of the 6 year old child. Roberts tried to push Ammerman off as he fired. He then lunged towards the direction of the gun fire throwing himself in the opposite direction of the child into the middle of the street.

Roberts continued to bleed out in the street. He was transported to Erie County Medical Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Outcome

Both officers are on mandatory administrative leave while the police investigates itself. The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened a special investigation into the killing of Dae'von.

Dae'von Roberts is half-brother of Jaylen Griffin who went missing in 2020. Despite a relentless search by family and community and being labeled a "runaway," Jaylen was found deceased in the attic of a home only 5 miles from his home with a history of dead bodies four years after he went missing. Jaylen appeared to have been deceased for a considerable amount of time. Jaylen and Dae'von’s mother, passed away in September from what is described as a “broken heart.”