Bodycam shows Buffalo cop shoot, kill man who was dragging officer on the side of his car

Buffalo Police have released body cam footage of an incident where a police officer being dragged by a vehicle at high speed shot Daevon Roberts, 25, just after midnight Wednesday.

Roberts was previously indicted for allegedly trying to shoot someone on April 22, 2024, at a vigil for his brother Jaylen Griffin. He faced charges for attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Police investigating this latest incident say they found a loaded gun under the driver's seat Wednesday, which would have been illegal possession. Ownership of that gun is still being traced.

It's unclear if any of that played into what happened after what police say was a standard traffic stop for speeding and illegal window tints on Kensington and Poultney avenues in Buffalo.

BPD says after a calm conversation between police and Roberts, officers ran a check on a screenshot of a Georgia ID Roberts provided. It turned out that it was just a regular ID, not a license.

Police say when their check failed to bring back any valid licenses, Officer Ronald Ammerman, who has been with the force for seven and a half years, asked him to step out. That’s when police say Roberts took off.

“I think that car you saw in the video, it was that 0 to 60 [mph] in a very rapid, rapid succession," said Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia. "I think the officer did what he had to do to survive.”

While hanging from the door, Ammerman appears to gets footing on the car and shoots Roberts five times in the torso area. Roberts then tumbles out of the car as it slows.

“I believe that that is a justified use of force that occurred the other night when you take into account the fact that the officer found himself in a grave risk of serious physical injury or death,” Gramaglia said.

The 6-year-old child was recovered from the car after it came to a stop with no injuries. He was returned to his mother.

An investigation is ongoing, and both officers are on administrative leave.

“They're gonna need time to process this," Gramaglia said. "You can't just come back to work the day after being involved in a situation like that.”

The state Attorney General’s Office is investigating the shooting, which is required by state law any time a civilian dies at the hands of law enforcement.

As for Roberts, this isn’t the only untimely loss this family has faced. His brother Jaylen was found dead this year after being missing for three and a half years. During that time, another of their brothers was shot and killed outside their home.

The boys’ mother passed away last September.