Buffalo police release body camera footage of fatal officer-involved shooting

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo police released body camera video Thursday after a man was killed following an officer-involved shooting early Wednesday morning.

Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said he believed the use of force was justified.

“After reviewing the video and the evidence that we have, I believe that this was a justified use of force that occurred the other night,” he said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

“Considering that the officer was in a situation where he was at risk of serious bodily injury or death, the use of this level of force is justified in this case.”

WARNING: The video contains images that may be disturbing to some.

The incident happened along Kensington Avenue, near Poultney Avenue, just after midnight, where a car was seen off the road.

Buffalo police have not released the identity of the man who later died to ECMC. But 2 On Your Side has confirmed that he is Dae’von Roberts, 25, the half-brother of Jaylen Griffin, the 12-year-old whose body was found in a south Buffalo home in April.

At a news conference in the afternoon, Commissioner Gramaglia was asked about a possible relationship but would not comment, citing the fact that the department was still in the process of notifying family members.

Gramaglia said he reviewed video of the incident captured by the body cameras of the two officers who stopped Roberts for speeding and tinted windows.

In the video, the commissioner said that after approaching the car, officers observed a 6-year-old child in the front seat without a seat belt and were heard asking the driver, Roberts, to identify himself.

Roberts reportedly told officers he did not have a driver’s license or photo ID, then showed one of the officers a photo of a Georgia ID on his phone, which Commissioner Gramaglia said officers were unable to verify.

According to Gramaglia, the driver was then asked to exit the vehicle, but he drove off while one of the officers still held the door window open.

“At that point, without any provocation, without any warning, the driver of the vehicle quickly put the car in gear and accelerated at a very high rate of speed. The officer who was holding the top of the door was unable to let go of the door,” Gramaglia said.

In the body camera video, the officer can be heard pleading with the driver to stop, according to the commissioner, and telling Roberts, “You’re going to kill me, you’re going to kill me.” The vehicle reportedly reached speeds of 60 mph while the officer was hanging on.

“Looking at the video, it appears that the motorist turned to the side and almost in a kicking motion, we’re making an assumption at this point, it appears that the driver was trying to push the driver off the side of the vehicle,” Gramaglia said.

At that point, the officer fired his service weapon, hitting the driver five times. The officer was able to control the car and he and Roberts fell out.

The vehicle drove another 100 metres before stopping near Kensington and Wyoming avenues with the child still inside.

The 6-year-old child was not injured and the police tried to save the driver who, according to Commissioner Gramaglia, showed signs of life.

Buffalo police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said in a statement that homicide detectives and internal affairs are conducting separate investigations into the incident and that the New York State Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigations has been notified.

The attorney general’s office told 2 On Your Side on Wednesday that it is conducting a preliminary assessment of the matter.

Commissioner Gramaglia said the department will release the body camera footage after Dae’von Roberts’ family has had the opportunity to view it.

The officer who was dragged with the vehicle suffered minor injuries and was treated at ECMC before being released.