Body camera footage of Buffalo police shooting released (VIDEO)

More details are beginning to emerge about 25-year-old Dae’von M. Roberts’ interaction with the Buffalo Police Department in the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

Later that day, July 10, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia held a news conference to discuss his understanding of the traffic stop and the ensuing shooting.

At the time, footage from the officers’ body cameras had not been released, but police officials had pledged to do so.

The footage is now available and sheds valuable light on the traffic stop and shooting that led to Roberts’ death.

Body camera video shows the start of the traffic stop and the interaction between Roberts and Buffalo Police Officer Ronald Ammerman.

The 6-year-old child who was sitting in the front seat can also be seen in the video.

On the surface, the interaction between the officers and Roberts appeared calm and normal, until Roberts put the car into gear and drove off.

Even with the body camera footage, many questions remain about the shooting

New York State Attorney General Letitia James now investigates all police-involved shootings. The attorney general released a statement saying she has begun her investigation into whether the Buffalo Police Department acted properly in this shooting.

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigations (OSI) has opened an investigation into the death of a civilian who died on July 10, 2024, following an encounter with members of the Buffalo Police Department (BPD) in Buffalo… Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI evaluates every incident reported to it in which a police officer or peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the deceased may be armed or unarmed.
-Letitia James, New York State Attorney General

Several members of the Buffalo community are wondering why the officer stopped the car as it drove away, instead of letting it go. The Buffalo Police Department has a no-pursuit policy when it comes to fleeing vehicles.

Investigations are now underway to determine whether the shooting was justified or not.