police brutality

Martin Luther King Park was the scene Wednesday evening of a vigil held in honor of two recent victims of police violence. Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times by officers in Kenosha Wisconsin in August, while video of the March death of Daniel Prude in Rochester recently went viral. Both incidents have sparked protests in their respective cities.

Supporters of a Buffalo police reform law named for an ousted officer are calling on lawmakers to state publicly whether they'll support it. Those backing the proposal known as Cariol's Law demand lawmakers keep her name on the bill if and when they may pass it.

A tumultuous week on Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo concluded with a peaceful march Friday night in which protesters were at times at odds on whether to focus on economic racism related to a high-profile incident at a bar, or continue the police reform effort started earlier this summer.

A peaceful protest through North Buffalo nearly turned ugly Tuesday when marchers were confronted by Hertel Avenue bar patrons in the vicinity of last week’s altercation involving a man with a knife.

The Buffalo Police Department charged a Cattaraugus County man with a hate crime Monday for allegedly threatening Black Lives Matter protesters on Hertel Avenue, but he was immediately released and given a ticket to appear in court more than a month from now.

Erie County District Attorney John Flynn says to blame New York state’s bail reform.  

Buffalo Police are doing away with one of the most controversial elements of the war on drugs: no-knock warrants. That is the kind of police warrant where officers don't have to announce they are there and why. Instead, they just kick down the door and head in.

A former Buffalo Police officer and her supporters rallied in Lafayette Square Friday afternoon, where it was announced she has obtained a legal team in a bid to restore her eligibility for a full pension. She lost her job with the police department in 2007, for what supporters insist was doing the right thing.

Members of the Buffalo Police Department covered their name tags while guarding Mayor Byron Brown’s house Wednesday evening, a dubious practice seen across the U.S. during the recent police brutality protests.

Their demands were visible in the signs they carried, as protesters marched and drove from Buffalo's Niagara Square, through the Elmwood Village, and eventually to the Hamlin Park home of Mayor Byron Brown Wednesday. As protesters gathered, the mayor was escorted by police to an awaiting vehicle, which left the scene. The event was loud, but peaceful.

A group of protesters occupying Niagara Square was met by Buffalo police officers as they marched from downtown Buffalo to Mayor Byron Brown’s residence Wednesday evening. 

Some of the steps toward police and racial equity reform, announced by Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown earlier this month, take effect on Wednesday.

This year's Juneteenth may spark more demonstrations than celebrations, as tensions remain high after the recent death of George Floyd and other African Americans during encounters with police. Juneteenth historically recalls that day in 1865 when the enslaved flooded the streets of Galveston, TX to celebrate their newly announced freedom. But its 2020 observance also begs a look at systemic racism in its modern form.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is conducting public hearings on the interactions between police and the public during weeks of mass protests across the state, including in Buffalo.

Last week's tweet by President Donald Trump about a Buffalo activist, injured after being pushed and falling in Niagara Square, is just one example of a long-running history of media misinformation. A University at Buffalo expert on media effects, persuasion and misinformation discussed the ongoing trend of spreading false narratives, and offers pointers for better judgment while warning that misinformation will only escalate with a tense presidential election coming.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed several police reform measures into law Friday, while saying he’ll withhold state funding from local police departments that do not submit proof that they’ve worked with their communities to reconfigure their forces. 

There is a growing movement to defund the police, after the death of George Floyd and incidences of police brutality in the nationwide protests that came in the aftermath. New York leaders say they would rather restructure the forces than cut their budgets.

More than 100 unionized healthcare workers at Oishei Children’s Hospital and Buffalo General Medical Center took part in a national walkout for Black lives Thursday, calling for an end to police brutality against people of color and more equitable access to healthcare.

Flanked by representatives of the Free The People WNY Coalition, Common Councilmembers, members of Buffalo Police Department and two National Football League players, Mayor Byron Brown announced a series of changes in the city's police policy while vowing that conversations to address social inequity have only just begun.

The New York State legislature Wednesday wrapped up passage of a package of bills on police reform, as the Senate Leader delivered a very personal speech on how systemic racism has affected her life.