A Buffalo Police Department officer shot and killed a man who was clinging to his car after the suspect sped off with a 6-year-old child in the passenger seat during a traffic stop, body camera footage showed.
Officer Ronald Ammerman pulled over 25-year-old Davon Roberts just after midnight Wednesday on suspicion of speeding and window tinting. Buffalo Police Department Said.
Ammerman approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and immediately noticed a 6-year-old boy sitting in the front seat and not wearing a seat belt. The suspect first introduced himself as his “cousin” and then, seconds later, his “nephew.”
The officer then asked Roberts to show his identification, which he did.
The suspect told officers he was from Georgia and was driving his sister’s car, showed them his out-of-state ID on his phone and said he got pulled over “every day” so it was fine.
However, after checking the ID, Ammerman discovered the photo on the ID was invalid and that Roberts did not have a driver’s license “in either state.”
The officer then told Roberts they would be conducting another search under his name and showed Ammerman reaching inside the vehicle and opening the door.
Seconds after the door was opened, Roberts stepped on the accelerator and drove off with the officer desperately holding on to the door frame.
As the car accelerates, Ammerman can be heard repeatedly pleading, “Are you going to kill me?”
The officer pleaded with the suspect to slow down and “get out,” but Roberts ignored them.
Roberts continued to drive erratically and appeared to attempt to kick Amerman and push him out of the car as the 6-year-old could be heard crying hysterically.
Ammerman pulled out a gun and fired several shots at Roberts, who tumbled out of the moving vehicle toward the officer.
Ammerman held on to the car for about 20 seconds before shooting Roberts, causing both men to fall to the street.
“I heard shots! My kid’s still in the car. They tried to kill me,” Ammerman yelled into his radio as he raced to check on his child.
Once officers arrived at the vehicle, they immediately comforted the 6-year-old boy, who was unharmed.
Ammerman’s partner, Officer Jonathan Crawford, had his body camera mounted on the passenger side of the suspect’s car and captured the moment Roberts drove away with his partner clinging to the car.
Crawford got into his patrol vehicle and made his way to the suspect, who was lying motionless on the ground before help arrived.
The suspect was then taken by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Buffalo Police Chief Joseph Gramaria said. Press conference over Thursday’s deadly shooting.
Ammerman also suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital where he was later released.
Police said they served a search warrant on a vehicle that did not belong to the suspect and found a loaded 9mm Taurus handgun under the driver’s seat.
“I believe what happened the other night was a justified use of force,” Buffalo Police Chief David Cox said at a news conference.
“Given the fact that the 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 a justified use of force in this case.”
Ammerman and Crawford, who both worked for the department for seven and a half years, have been placed on administrative leave, in accordance with department policy.
“They’re going to need time to figure this out,” Gramaria said.
“This is real life. You can’t control how some of these situations will unfold. You can train for different situations, but when they actually happen in real life, the real-life situation will always have a different outcome than what happens in the training facility.”
Buffalo’s homicide detectives and internal investigations unit are separately investigating the fatal shooting.
In April, Roberts was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, endangerment and criminal damage to property during a memorial service for his 12-year-old half-brother, Jaylen Griffin. Webb.
Roberts was held without bail, but in June his charges were changed to attempted first-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and he was placed on supervised release.
Griffin’s body was discovered in a South Buffalo home in April after she went missing in August 2020, WIVB reported.
Roberts had told officers about the boy before the traffic stop went wrong.
“It’s a very sad situation on all fronts. This family has been through a lot over the past few years,” Gramaria said.
