[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6151066,"mediaKeyId","5505381-01d88a7d25017e7a9577a2629718d21c","parentId",5505381,"title","Council presses police on delayed notice after June 17 shooting outside Tops","audioSeconds",1496,"startMs",184000,"endMs",1680000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5505381-01d88a7d25017e7a9577a2629718d21c&start=184&end=1680","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5505381-01d88a7d25017e7a9577a2629718d21c/thumbnail_184000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6151066/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Council-presses-police-on-delayed-notice-after-June-17-shooting-outside-Tops","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151066-e63fa16c602a45debf01b6eaa686f7dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032587&Signature=LzTIW8sVo2iC-K9LJYq80kLRoqLNdwiGwm5j3X5FKP04eNecfMk-j2Ac0YES0AcdrfOa1Sb6Fl46qm17coPeev2tiZg2drwOv7QCx7L~sJ1xgKWQ~0w2gDO8cyKJ40fLJkp19fp3p4mFdtgLv5OGIdo0el82cO4WKQEd2LmWE1ZJBmawYWIl34XOZnj2b1yVGMI7n77R9EJWuHM8hB6C8SzoUxRhSDKkKQbFe0z2HEOY8CH-NJqIRLf5SdqiAxM2KRczVkM-GOknnMbNCKKn-ZxoXf8jmfiiPMiLa7aaLWEv6dpksaGF-RqFrkNzFSSfzRpK9MO1u29JHVPBPJGukg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Buffalo City","date","2025-07-16T00:00:00Z","article","Council members pressed the Buffalo Police Commissioner at a council committee meeting about the department’s delay in notifying elected officials and the public after a June 17 shooting outside the Tops supermarket in the Ellicott District.

The exchange began after council members asked why they and residents learned of the incident days later, and whether the department’s communication practices would change for “sensitive locations” such as Tops, which the speakers tied directly to the 05/14 massacre and ongoing community sensitivity.

Council members said social media filled the information gap and increased public outrage; several called for faster, more proactive briefings so councilors can inform constituents. A majority leader asked the commissioner for a commitment that, when incidents involve weapons or threats in locations that carry historic trauma for residents, police will notify affected council members and release as much information as possible without jeopardizing an investigation.

The police commissioner described how his office received calls, was informed by chiefs about arrests, and then opened inquiries and coordinated with the district attorney’s office. He said investigators quickly arrested two men after an argument outside Tops and that detectives were checking whether the incident related to the May 14 attack. He told the committee, \"If I thought it had anything to do with that 5/14 ... everyone would have been notified,\" and apologized for the communication breakdown.

Council members pressed for clearer notification protocols and asked whether the department can recommend security steps (for example, signage or additional private security) to store owners at Tops and other grocery locations; the commissioner said police can make such recommendations.

Assistant Corporation Counsel Lisa Yeager reminded the committee that police and the law office may be limited in what they can say during ongoing investigations; she urged care about hypotheticals that could affect active cases.

The committee opened discussion on the letter to the commissioner regarding the June 17 incident and then voted to table the item for further review. Council members requested follow-up materials, including the department’s notification practice and any communications already made to affected residents or district offices.

The council left the item tabled and asked police leadership to provide a clearer protocol for when and how council and the public are told about incidents at sensitive locations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Buffalo City Re-convened Police Oversight Committee 7/16/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council members pressed the Buffalo Police Commissioner at a council committee meeting about the department’s delay in notifying elected officials and the public after a June 17 shooting outside the Tops supermarket in the Ellicott District.","taxTitle","Buffalo City, Erie County, New York","taxId",7516,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6151057,"Council hears update on April 2024 sheriff's-vehicle crash; Niagara County investigating",319,3641000,3960000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5505381-01d88a7d25017e7a9577a2629718d21c&start=3641&end=3960","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5505381-01d88a7d25017e7a9577a2629718d21c/thumbnail_3641000.jpg","/articles/6151057/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Council-hears-update-on-April-2024-sheriffs-vehicle-crash-Niagara-County-investigating","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151057-b1b0ee0dbfc6bd4986c770f035928a9e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032587&Signature=bGUMUxH8dzKdGfdiie4K4GzW2rgjoRCUX9AtNJG5RwM-Dmg3lbwPK8W3lHqgxE05ND~KqPu6QiFOHS5k4pzNA2f8JCr4kWpnsG~PBQK6kqsYXYoRaE7hp4WdZWmfXG3pZe9k86FD7JSL50SKvyvnb0oM7dq2BhTTnf16jZnWaGnNIuiAXm6D6WsYjT-9uYIUc-C4SCm5RWXb8usaUYUPTwkei7urw8Ax4VbmulbFtFD7tcSR6fnTGcJ3zDTW0lrpKoSaXkf7BSAp1lvAJ506PuLWdOD2shG2TcFNdAKeDY60CTJoDlLvoRuMyLCw-gkAUB7tFfz0N89--iFgwIGaEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members briefly reopened a tabled letter to the police commissioner concerning an April 2024 crash involving a sheriff's vehicle and were told the matter is being investigated by the Niagara County District Attorney.

The police commissioner said the Buffalo Police Department provided available information to the county and that investigators have been tasked with contacting witnesses; some witnesses reportedly declined to speak further, while others agreed to cooperate. Council members asked whether the department had changed response or evidence-collection procedures since the April crash; the commissioner said department policies remain in place and that the committee could discuss procedural detail at a subsequent oversight meeting to avoid jeopardizing any ongoing investigation.

The committee opened the item for discussion and then voted to table it pending the county's investigation and additional information from police leadership.","The committee received a brief update that a crash involving a sheriff's vehicle from April 2024 is under investigation in Niagara County; police said they have shared witness information and are awaiting additional requests from Niagara County prosecutors",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6151061,"Council debates civilian review board after state attorney general finds errors in investigations",428,2182000,2610000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5505381-01d88a7d25017e7a9577a2629718d21c&start=2182&end=2610","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5505381-01d88a7d25017e7a9577a2629718d21c/thumbnail_2182000.jpg","/articles/6151061/Buffalo-City/Erie-County/New-York/Council-debates-civilian-review-board-after-state-attorney-general-finds-errors-in-investigations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151061-666ac35c04ebac22da9e7c02002edb0a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032587&Signature=jegWhuwjCXt1~p0feXwlUfHIZPViNb~sJYYpGUTReGZRI36BkE4AkNojI3cE6ut0ff0y0ogcHIlJ1sv-soV0L3fx4fyru0F~3OeD8jcohtAanCEQ6pIAD47Qu81INWTN0eV~1D~99zd1Y7NVdWubm7sdq78mZGjaNbealftXIm8pfsYTMz9ww0NS4K4v1y8ByQ6k4-o0FYRFBNxheUg2HlTC6OvhW8RSdIg9JB3dNbc9aRSAFrBCS0wjlRaIUg9MAw-xA0ygYK2bG0IXx~RVXMWnEWLMomm9L0MDKp~VxXPGc2weIP6SVYuxMw5q13eidW5UTh16fJqqvGG6ldYHCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members used a committee hearing to press the police commissioner for clearer accountability after a recent review by the state attorney general’s office flagged errors in the handling of multiple complaints against a Buffalo police officer.

The council cited a news report summarizing the attorney general’s review, which the meeting record summarizes as examining 14 complaints against Officer Justin Ayala between October 2021 and August (year not specified), with the AG basing findings on five incidents. The report said the AG found problems in the department’s investigations and in at least one case concluded supervisors failed to review body camera footage before exonerating the officer. The meeting record also notes the AG described excessive-force incidents and that Ayala earned about $113,000 last year, roughly $50,000 of it in overtime.

Council members repeatedly said a high exoneration rate — they cited figures of 85 to 90 percent in some discussions — contributes to public distrust and large taxpayer settlements. Several members urged the creation of a civilian review board like those in Rochester, Syracuse and New York City. One council member said the proposed body would not be adversarial but intended to bring independent fact-finding to allegations.

The police commissioner described the internal affairs (IA) process at length and stressed that the IA division are fact-finders who gather video, witness statements and other evidence and then present a file review to the commissioner, who he said is the sole arbiter of findings and discipline. He told the committee, \"Only 1 person in this department is responsible for that and that's the commissioner of police.\" He also said the department has changed procedures to route use-of-force reviews directly to IA rather than through the chain of command.

The commissioner noted the department complies with the state oversight mechanism under New York State Executive Law 75, which requires referral to the attorney general when an officer receives five complaints in a rolling 24-month period. He added that while the city would comply with any oversight body the council creates, the ability to impose discipline is governed by the current collective bargaining agreement and state law, meaning disciplinary authority currently rests with the commissioner and would require negotiation to change.

Council members requested the department and the chief of staff provide the committee with IA files or summaries tied to the AG report so members can compare the department’s findings with the AG’s conclusions. The committee opened discussion on a proposed civilian review board item and then tabled it for further study; no governing change was adopted at the session.","Council members pressed police leadership about repeated exonerations of officers after internal affairs investigations and cited a recent attorney general review of multiple complaints against an officer; members renewed calls for a civilian review board while the commissioner outlined limits set by collective bargaining and state law","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council presses police on delayed notice after June 17 shooting outside Tops

Council hears update on April 2024 sheriff's-vehicle crash; Niagara County investigating

Council debates civilian review board after state attorney general finds errors in investigations