BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — An apparent Buffalo police pursuit of ATV drivers, followed by a crash, was caught on camera by a neighbor. That footage has now sparked an internal investigation into that pursuit.
That video, which was first posted by Buffalo Street News 716 on Facebook, appears to show two Buffalo police cars chasing a group of ATV drivers through the middle of Waterfront/Emerson Young Park.
At the end of the video, one of those police cars appears to crash into the side of one of the ATVs in the Waterfront Elementary school parking lot.
All of this took place in Buffalo Police’s B District, despite district chief Tommy Champion saying it’s department policy to rarely pursue vehicles.
“Typically, the Buffalo Police Department does have a non-pursuit policy, unless there is an egregious or incredibly active violent incident that's happening at that time,” Champion said.
Police declined to give any details on the reasoning for this chase or the condition of the ATV driver who was knocked off his vehicle.
Both Champion and Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon said the incident and the involved officers’ actions are under investigation.
“Talking to the police commissioner and others at the department, it has now been moved to an internal affairs investigation,” Scanlon said.
“That’s going to be one thing we investigate when we look at this incident, whether or not that pursuit was in line with our policy,” Champion said. “I'd avoid talking about specific details, considering that we're still combing through all the facts about it, and I'll leave it at that. But we are actively investigating that as well.”
Scanlon said the city has had problems with illegal ATV activity for years.
“Increased fines, things like that. Changed legislation where we can take and impound vehicles, things like that. We'll continue to look at what we can do,” Scanlon said.
I’m told there is no timeline for the current investigation.
