25-Year-Old Man Killed After Altercation With Buffalo Police

The Kensington neighborhood in Buffalo's University District had a lot of police activity going on early in the morning on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, as a man was shot and killed by Buffalo Police officers after a traffic stop and altercation that occurred right after the stop.

Details about the shooting were initially light as police detectives and officers from the Internal Affairs Division investigated the circumstances that caused a BPD officer to discharge his weapon just after midnight Wednesday morning.

Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia held a press conference later in the day on Wednesday to list out details about the shooting, and what occurred beforehand that led to it.

While the Buffalo Police Department has not released the of the man shot by officers, the Buffalo News received confirmation of the man's name from multiple sources, including someone within the law enforcement community.

According to the Buffalo News, 25-year-old Dae’von M. Roberts of Buffalo was the man shot and killed by officers.

Commissioner Gramaglia broke down details of the early morning incident in the press conference.

It's alleged that Roberts was pulled over on Kensington Avenue for speeding and having dark-tinted windows. Once pulled over, officers claim that a 6-year-old boy was in the front seat without a car seat.

It's noted in their report that Roberts was ordered to get out of the car by officers, but instead of getting out of the vehicle attempted to drive off, and an officer, who was hanging on to the car by the door, was dragged as the car sped down Kensington Ave going at least 60 mph.

Commissioner Gramaglia said the officer pleaded with Roberts to stop the car, and when Roberts attempted to kick the officer from the car, that's when the officer fired his weapon. The officer fired five rounds at Roberts, all of which hit him.

The child in the front seat was not injured, while Roberts had severe wounds. He was treated at the scene and then taken to the Erie County Medical Center, where he died.

Gramaglia went on to report that a loaded weapon was found in the car.

This tragedy isn't the first to happen to Dae’von Roberts' family.

Roberts is the brother of Jaylen Griffin, the boy who went missing in 2020 and was later found dead in a South Buffalo home earlier this year. Roberts & Griffin's older brother, Jawaan Griffin, was killed in a shooting on Memorial Drive in Buffalo back in 2020. Roberts' mother, Joann Ponzo, died from an illness in September 2023.