Shocking body camera footage has been released showing the moment a police officer clung to a speeding car and shot and killed a fleeing suspect while a terrified child screamed in the passenger seat.
Shocking video released Thursday by the Buffalo, New York Police Department shows Officer Ronald Ammerman pulling over 25-year-old Davon Roberts for speeding on Kingston Street just after midnight Wednesday, then the suspect accelerates in a desperate attempt to flee from police.
Ammerman can be seen desperately clinging to the car, pleading with Roberts to stop, and saying, “You’re going to kill me, brother,” while a 6-year-old boy screams in fear.
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Buffalo Police Chief Joseph Gramaria speaks about the body camera footage. (City of Buffalo)
As the car sped away for about 20 seconds, Ammerman fired several shots at both men as they fell to the ground.
“I heard shots! My kids are still in the car. They tried to kill me,” Ammerman yelled over the radio.
Ammerman rushed over to check on the child, who was not injured, and held onto him until reinforcements arrived.
Roberts was pronounced dead at a local hospital, and police said a gun was later found in the car.
Buffalo Police Chief Joseph Gramaria said he supports the actions Ammerman took to protect himself from immediate danger.
“I believe the use of force that occurred the other night was justified,” Gramaria said at a news conference. “Given the fact that officers were at significant risk of serious injury or death, the use of that level of force is justified by law and I believe it was justified use of force in this case.”
“These situations don’t develop in a classroom or in a training facility,” Gramaria said. “It’s reality and some of these situations we don’t have much control over. We can train for different situations, but when it happens in real life, in real life situations, it always plays out differently than what happens in a training facility.”
Gramaria said Ammerman and the other officer conducted themselves in a professional and cheerful manner during the stop, which lasted about nine minutes. Minutes before Roberts tried to escape.
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A handgun loaded with seven rounds of ammunition was found in Davon Roberts’ vehicle. (Buffalo Police Department)
At the beginning of the video, Ammerman approaches the driver’s side of the car and tells Roberts he was pulled over for speeding and having tinted windows.
Ammerman asked Roberts to roll down the rear window, and when Roberts did so, he revealed a car seat and a 6-year-old boy in the passenger seat who was not wearing a seat belt. Roberts called the child his “little cousin” and “nephew” and said he was taking him home.
Amerman then asked Roberts for identification, which Roberts agreed to and showed him an out-of-state ID on his cell phone, and told Amerman he was from Georgia and was driving his sister’s car.
However, when Ammerman checked the ID, he discovered it was invalid and that Roberts did not have a driver’s license in either state.
Ammerman, who has been with the police department for seven and a half years, told Roberts that police would be searching his name in a different way before the officer reached inside the car and opened the door.
Then Roberts stepped on the gas and sped off, leaving Ammerman clinging nervously to the door.
Roberts is accused of shooting at a memorial for his half-brother, Jaylen Griffin, whose body was found in April in a South Buffalo home after going missing in August 2020, WIVB-News 4 reported.
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Body camera footage shows Officer Ronald Ammerman clinging to a car. (City of Buffalo)
Roberts was indicted in June and was on supervised release at the time, the outlet reported.
Meanwhile, Ammerman and another officer at the scene, Jonathan Crawford, have been placed on administrative leave, in accordance with department policy, Gramaria said.
“It’s going to take them a while to process this,” Gramaria said. “You can’t be caught up in a situation like this and go back to work the next day.”
