A Buffalo police officer was shot and another officer injured Sunday during a violent confrontation that left a man dead.
Police are being very cautious about releasing details of the late afternoon incident that took place in the Black Rock-Riverside neighborhood, not far from Riverside High School. Police will say officers were conducting a traffic stop about 5 p.m. Sunday when the driver they had pulled over began struggling with one of the officers and shot him once in the head.
The suspect was shot by the other officer, but managed to flee a short distance on foot. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The wounded officer underwent surgery at Erie County Medical Center. Police officials say he is expected to survive. He was listed in fair condition as of Monday morning.
The Buffalo News is reporting the wounded officer is Joseph Acquino, who less than a year ago was on the police Strike Force and was involved in an incident in which a young man attempted to kill Acquino's partner. Acquino was one of the officers honored by the PBA for their handling of the situation.
Councilmember Joseph Golombek held a silent vigil several hours later to "show our support for the Buffalo Police Department, cause there's enough knuckleheads out there that are screaming and hollering against our officers."
"This was organic from the neighborhood that wanted to show support for the Buffalo Police Department," said Golombek, who has been very vocal about crime problems in that neighborhood, including a recent confrontation with an apparent drug dealer on his own block.
