BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Police Department has released body camera video of an incident on Donovan Drive in September 2025.
Police said on September 27, 2025, officers responding to an "unknown trouble" call on Donovan Drive encountered a woman who was allegedly armed with a knife and was "acting aggressively." Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, but the woman allegedly ignored commands to drop the knife.
According to police, an officer deployed pepper spray as the woman approached a group of people and was allegedly pointing the knife at them. The woman allegedly continued to advance towards the group and stabbed a man in the head, which is when an officer discharged their weapon, shooting the woman in the shoulder.
Police said responding officers, Buffalo firefighrters and EMTs rendered first aid on scene. Both the man and woman were taken to ECMC with non-life-threatening injuries.
You can watch the full video released by police online here. Warning: the video contains graphic images and strong language. It may be disturbing to some viewers.
Police said 38-year-old Cynthia Gilbert was arraigned on an indictment charging her with second-degree attempted murder and first-degree attempted assault.
Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane met with reporters in October 2025 to discuss the case.
"Our office has determined that the officer's use of force was justified,” DA Keane said in October. “Police officers showed extraordinary calm, restraint, patience, and professionalism in this situation, and quite frankly, the determination that their use of force was justified was not a difficult one. They tried to de-escalate a very tense situation. Unfortunately, they were unable to do so."
