Buffalo police release body camera footage of fatal shooting

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo police have released body camera footage of an incident in which an officer being dragged by a speeding vehicle shot Daevon Roberts, 25, just after midnight Wednesday.

Roberts was previously charged with allegedly attempting to shoot someone on April 22, 2024, at a wake for his brother Jaylen Griffin. He was charged with attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Police investigating the latest incident said they found a loaded gun under the driver’s seat on Wednesday, which may have been illegal possession. The ownership of the gun is still being determined.

It’s unclear whether any of that played a role in what happened after what police say was a standard traffic stop for speeding and illegal window tints at Kensington and Poultney avenues in Buffalo.

According to the BPD, after a calm conversation between police and Roberts, officers checked a screenshot of a Georgia ID provided by Roberts. It turned out to be just a regular ID, not a driver’s license.

Police said that when the stop revealed no valid license, Officer Ronald Ammerman, who has been with the force for seven and a half years, asked Roberts to leave the scene. That’s when Roberts fled, police said.

“I think the car that you saw in the video went from 0 to 60 (mph) very quickly,” Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said. “I think the officer did what he had to do to survive.”

While hanging from the door, Ammerman appears to gain a foothold on the car and shoots Roberts five times in the torso area. Roberts then falls from the car as it slows down.

“I believe that this was a justified use of force that occurred the other night, when you consider that the officer was placed in a position of serious risk of serious physical injury or death,” Gramaglia said.

The 6-year-old child was rescued without injury after the car stopped. He was returned to his mother.

An investigation is ongoing and both officers are on administrative leave.

“They’re going to need time to digest this situation,” Gramaglia said. “You can’t just go back to work the day after a situation like that.”

The state attorney general’s office is investigating the shooting, which is required by state law any time a civilian dies at the hands of law enforcement.

As for Roberts, it’s not the only untimely loss this family has had to deal with. His brother Jaylen was found dead this year after being missing for three and a half years. Meanwhile, another of their brothers was shot and killed outside their home.

The boys’ mother died last September.