Erie County Sheriff's employee under investigation after incident with protesters

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — An Erie County Sheriff’s Office employee is on administrative leave and under investigation after being involved in an incident over the weekend.

According to the sheriff’s office, the incident was caught on video and involves and an employee that was off-duty at the time. It is reported that the employee had a confrontation with a group of protesters while holding a baseball bat.

Erie County Legislator April Baskin issued a statement on social media saying she spoke with the sheriff’s administration about the incident, which she describes as an “employee’s aggressive response to a crowd of protesters.”

“The Sheriff’s Professional Standards Division is investigating the incident, and Superintendent Thomas Diina, Jail Management Division, has placed the employee on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation,” according to a statement.