Police are swarming across much of Buffalo's East Side and into Cheektowaga and looking for 23-year-old Robert McBride. He is identified as the man who allegedly fired three shots at two police officers engaged in a foot chase early Thursday.
Despite a police perimeter, the suspect escaped. Buffalo Police and ATF began an intense search. There are also extra patrols and security watches on numerous schools in the vicinity of what happened.
Police Captain Jeff Rinaldo says the story began with a radio call of shots fired around 4:30 a.m. at Lang and Newburgh avenues.
"Within a few minutes, officers spotted a person matching the description of the suspect and a foot chase ensued," Rinaldo told a media gathering Thursday.
"In the vicinity of 80 Courtland, as officers were closing in, the suspect did turn on the officers and fire three rounds at them from extremely close range. Thankfully, none of the officers were hit. The foot case ensued and continued on numerous blocks."
Rinaldo says police were able to identify McBride within hours and began knocking on doors with search warrants in the city and Cheektowaga. He won't say what his record is but says the man is known to police.