BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — "The Erie County Sheriff's Office covered up nothing," That was part of Erie County Sheriff John Garcia's opening statement in the Erie County Legislature on Thursday.
The sheriff was pressed on his handling of last year's crash involving his Chief of Narcotics, DJ Granville.
WATCH: Erie County Sheriff answers questions from lawmakers on Granville hit-and-run case
Timeline
Garcia said legally, he can now speak about the case in detail. He outlined a timeline of the crash:
April 11, 2024 - Daniel "DJ" Granville, the Chief of Narcotics and Intelligence for the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, crashed into seven parked vehicles on multiple streets on Buffalo’s West Side. He was driving the wrong way in an Erie County-owned pickup truck. Garcia said at least six members of the Buffalo Police Department responded, including Granville's sister-in-law, who was on duty.
WATCH: Video appears to show Erie County Sheriff's Office chief hit parked cars
911 recordings from that night reveal multiple callers reporting a hit-and-run. Garcia said Granville was working a case late Sunday night, but didn't know where he was between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. that night. Legislators brought up that Granville was allegedly at a Buffalo Sabres game, but Garcia said he doesn't know.
The passenger seat airbag was deployed, but Garcia said he doesn't know about anyone else in Granville's county-owned truck during the crash.
April 12, 2024 - Garcia said the next morning, between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., Granville called Undersheriff William Cooley to tell him about the crash. Garcia said Granville explained he was involved in the crash, causing property damage while on duty, that there were no injuries and he was not drinking alcohol. Granville was given a summons for driving the wrong way.
April 19, 2024 - County records show that Granville's time was entered manually by the sheriff's office, and no changes were made involving his crash.
Garcia said he was told after the crash that Granville had been dealing with high levels of anxiety and depression and was prescribed medication. Granville went to an out-of-state facility for 30 days. Garcia commended Granville's "proactive" approach in dealing with mental health, an important issue with first responders.
March 2025: A lawsuit surfaces that accuses Granville of negligently, recklessly, and carelessly driving his county-owned vehicle before losing control and crashing into several parked cars.
August 2025: Garcia suspended Granville for 30 working days without pay as punishment for his criminal conviction, after he pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a string of hit-and-runs in April 2024.
Vehicle
Garcia said the pickup truck was purchased for $18,000, but the damages exceeded that value. The vehicle was sold at an auction, according to Garcia, and Granville was issued a new county vehicle.
Taxpayer Costs & Transparency
According to a report from the Investigative Post, several claims related to the crash have cost Erie County taxpayers nearly $60,000 to settle.
One of the biggest questions asked on Thursday is why Garcia never asked Granville if he was using any type of drugs the night of the crash.
Erie County Legislator Jeanne Vinal (D): "Did you ask him 'were you under the influence of prescription drugs?'"
Sheriff John Garcia (R): "I don't think I can ask that per HIPAA."
Vinal: "There's no HIPAA that's preventing a police officer or employer asking an employee, were you under the influence of drugs when you crashed [seven] cars...Why didn't you ask that?"
Garcia: "I didn't think to ask if he was on prescription drugs."
Vinal: "Did you ask if he was on illegal drugs?"
Garcia: "I did not."
"There was a lot of unanswered questions," said Erie County Legislator Taisha St. Jean Tard (D). "We just want the unbiased true opinion on what really happened, and was the consequences enough."
Buffalo Police Investigation
Garcia said the investigation was handled by Buffalo Police and that they said there was no indication that Granville was under the influence while driving.
Legislators questioned why the Buffalo Police officers who responded to the crash did not cooperate with the special prosecutor. A few months ago, the Niagara County DA was brought in as the special prosecutor. Earlier this month, he determined there was "insufficient evidence" to charge any of the responding police officers with violations of criminal law.
What Happens Now?
On Thursday, Garcia said Granville is the Erie County Sheriff's Office Chief of Narcotics. When asked why he's protecting Granville, Garcia responded with: "What kind of boss would I be if I took someone who's suffering from a mental wellness issue that has a stellar career and throw him out in the garbage?"
After the hearing, Garcia answered questions from reporters. You can watch his full comments below.
