Buffalo · Ohio Street · Shots Fired / Child Struck

A 10-Year-Old Is Struck by a Vehicle at a Shots-Fired Call Near Ohio Street, Drawing a Heavy Police Response

Buffalo police merged two gunfire scenes late yesterday afternoon as a boy hit by a car was found awake and breathing and the department called in its accident-investigation unit.

Yesterday at 5:24 PM, Buffalo police on the Northeast districts asked dispatch to merge a shooting reported from ECMC with a shots-fired call near the Ohio Street area, keeping the "Self-Division" scene as the primary incident. Moments later came a second emergency at the same scene: “195, Texas. A juvenile hit by a vehicle”.

Dispatch confirmed “it looks like it's a 10-year-old male awake and breathing” and officers headed over, with an injured victim up and talking on scene who still needed an ambulance. By 5:31 PM a lieutenant asked whether the department's accident-investigation unit was available, saying he was “in an effort to call out every specialized unit in my four hours I'm going to work tonight”, and a district supervisor was notified to respond.

↗ Related: same_incident

Buffalo · South Division · Shots Fired

A Man Is Rushed to ECMC With a Gunshot Wound to the Stomach After Gunfire Near South Division

Buffalo police tracked a black Chevy SUV and recovered shell casings after a shots-fired call left one man wounded late yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday afternoon, beginning around 4:23 PM, Buffalo police worked a shots-fired call near 197 South Division in which three shots were reported and one victim was transported to ECMC with a gunshot wound to the stomach. Dispatch tied the gunfire to a black Chevrolet SUV, with officers later recovering shell casings and locating a black Subaru Forester unoccupied in bushes near the shooting scene.

The investigation carried into the evening as the hospital-side report of a gunshot victim was folded into the same case. Officers noted a possible second vehicle had fled, and command kept units on scene to canvass as the inquiry continued.

↗ Related: same_incident

Depew · Dick Road · Missing Elderly Woman

A Confused 91-Year-Old Woman Vanishes From the Dick Road Wegmans, and Depew Police Launch a Search

Officers moved quickly after a woman identified as Mary Ellen Wallace was last seen confused at the store's Dick Road entrance.

Yesterday at 4:46 PM, Depew dispatch sent a car to the Wegmans at 651 Dick Road, reporting a confused elderly woman at the entrance off Dick Road. The dispatcher named her as a person identified on the air as Mary Ellen Wallace and said she was “a confused elderly female at the entrance off of Dick Road, over by the value”.

The call quickly escalated to a search for a missing 91-year-old after officers could not immediately relocate her at the store entrance, with units working the Dick Road side of the plaza.

Cheektowaga · Walden Avenue · Shoplifting / Pursuit

A Target Shoplifter Wanted in Two Counties Sets Off a Freeway Chase That Runs Toward the Buffalo Line

A man grabbing electronics from the Walden Avenue Target, flagged with warrants out of Hamburg and Orchard Park, led Cheektowaga police onto the Thruway in a gray Subaru before the pursuit broke off near the city.

Yesterday at 4:15 PM, Cheektowaga dispatch sent a car to the Target at 1750 Walden Avenue for a man taking electronics from the store. According to store security, dispatch said, the subject — named on the air as Jack Echol — also had warrants out of Hamburg and Orchard Park, and was described as a slim white male in a green hoodie with a black bag.

Security relayed that the man had arrived in a silver Subaru parked near the store with a driver waiting inside, and that he was last seen running through the parking lot. As the car left westbound on Walden, popped a U-turn and ran eastbound, officers took up a pursuit onto the Thruway. By about 4:22 PM units were behind the Subaru near the Route 33 split, with one officer reporting “still eastbound, appears to be getting on to the 33” before the chase was lost near the Pine Ridge bridge entering the city.

Salamanca · Wilson Street · Possible Arson Fire

A House Fire on Salamanca's Wilson Street Draws a Multi-Agency Response Overnight

Officers arriving to blacked-over windows and fire audible inside called for Kilbuck and Seneca Nation crews to a possible-arson blaze.

Late yesterday at 11:40 PM, Salamanca dispatch took a structure-fire call in the area of 71 Wilson Street, possibly 67 Wilson, warning responders of heavy smoke in the roadway. An arriving unit soon reported smoke pushing from the back of the residence.

An officer on scene radioed that “all the windows are blacked over. You can hear the fire inside. No contact with anyone at this time”, with no contact made with anyone at the home. Seneca EMS, Kilbuck Fire and Seneca Nation Fire were brought in, and the response was handled as a possible arson.

Buffalo · Hertel & Colvin · Hit-and-Run Injury

A Hit-and-Run Driver Strikes a Woman's Mother Near Hertel and Colvin, Then Flees

Buffalo police pulled a car off another call to chase a vehicle that struck a pedestrian and sped off eastbound on Hertel.

Yesterday at 9:05 PM, Buffalo dispatch redirected a North-side unit to Crestwood and the Hertel-Colvin area for a hit-and-run with injury, telling the officer “I got Crestwood and Hertel come in for a hit run with injury. A female says a vehicle struck her mother and took off”.

Dispatch said the striking vehicle was last seen heading east on Hertel, then south on Colvin, and put out a partial plate for units trying to intercept it.

Mina · West Main Street · Structure Fire

Interior Crews Toned to a Structure Fire on West Main Street in Columbus Township

Chautauqua County dispatch pulled interior firefighters from several companies to a reported house fire southwest of the county.

Yesterday at 3:52 PM, Chautauqua County fire dispatch requested interior firefighters from Climber, Panama and Sherman to the scene of a structure fire at 55 West Main Street in Columbus Township, the call starting as an EMS run before upgrading to a working structure fire.

The escalation came amid a busy afternoon for the county's mutual-aid network — just minutes earlier, dispatch had an Erie County request pulling a Panama engine to standby at the Bear Lake Station.

Erie County · Angola Service Area · Ride Dispute

Three Women Want Out of Their Rideshare and Out to Cleveland — and They'd Like a Trooper to Sort It

A Thruway dispatcher tried to untangle a gas-station standoff at the Angola Service Area.

Yesterday at 9:39 PM, a state trooper was asked to swing by the westbound Angola Service Area for a Chrysler Town & Country parked at the gas station. As dispatch laid it out, “there's three females in the vehicle that wants to be taken to Cleveland, Ohio. They're going to be in a rideshare vehicle, rideshare driver”. The passengers, the dispatcher added, “want a different kind of ride” — but first they wanted a trooper to help them out of the car they were already in.

Wyoming County · Prairie Center · Line of Duty Tribute

A County-Wide Page Falls Silent for a 55-Year Fireman

Between windmill drills and a council meeting, Wyoming County dispatch delivered a tribute to one of its own.

Yesterday at 6:00 PM, amid the routine business of a council meeting and an Invenergy windmill drill, Wyoming County fire dispatch keyed up with heavier news for every station on the band: “It is with extreme heavy heart the Prairie Center Fire Department announces the passing of 55 year member and 30 year deputy fire coordinator Gary Huff”. Firefighters were asked to assemble at the Prairie Center Fire Station in full dress uniform Saturday for a 2 p.m. service.

Erie County · Platinum Lot · DJ Logistics

Load-Out Blues: Whoever's With the DJ Is Carting the Gear Back to the Platinum Lot

A pre-dawn guest-services call delivers the least glamorous part of show business.

Early this morning at 6:29 AM, a guest-services radio cut through the dead air with the eternal verdict of the last person standing after a party: “Whoever is with the DJ, he's going to have to cart it back to the Platinum parking lot”. Negative on the easy way out, in other words.

Cattaraugus County · Sign-Off · Dispatcher Courtesy

A Quarter of a Second: The Fastest Promised Callback on the Band

Cattaraugus County's night dispatcher signs off with more warmth than most people manage awake.

Late yesterday at 10:58 PM, between clearing units, a Cattaraugus County fire dispatcher closed out a call with the kind of hospitality the hour rarely earns: “We'll see you next time, sir. I'll call you back in a quarter of a second, sir. Have a good night”. A quarter of a second may be optimistic, but the sentiment landed.

Amherst · Millersport Highway · Domestic Dispute

Amherst Police Break Up Red Roof Inn Lot Fight Over Rocks and a Stick

Yesterday at 11:02 PM, Amherst police were sent to the Red Roof Inn at Millersport Highway and Sheridan Drive for a domestic dispute, with the first call describing a man throwing rocks at a woman in the parking lot.

Dispatch quickly updated the call to two people fighting in the lot, one of them a woman possibly holding a stick, before officers on scene determined it amounted to “more of like a parenting issue”.

Amherst · Main Street · Domestic Violence Assist

Mother and Son Seek Help at Main Street McDonald's Fleeing Domestic Violence

At 11:25 PM yesterday, Amherst police were asked to assist at the McDonald's at 5316 Main Street, where dispatch said a woman and her son were looking for help getting out of a domestic violence situation with her ex-boyfriend; she had been trying to catch a Greyhound bus back to Mississippi, but said the ex-boyfriend was waiting for her at the bus station.

Amherst · Main Street · Indecent Exposure

Naked Man Walking Main Street Draws Alarmed, Aggressive Bystanders

Just after 6 PM yesterday, police radio relayed a report of a white man walking naked down Main Street in Amherst, with the dispatcher adding that callers said bystanders had begun — in the dispatcher's words — to "stab him," a detail that went out over the air without further clarification before the unit cleared the call.

Tonawanda · Military Road · Foot Pursuit

Driver Flees Over Lawns Near Military Road Bus Barn as Chase Splits in Two

Early this morning, just before 1 AM, Tonawanda police dispatch sent a unit to the area of 1000 Military Road and the NFTA bus barns after a report that an officer, referred to on the radio as "Kevlar," was chasing someone off a bus.

Dispatch then relayed that the chase had split into two men on foot, one heading south in a gray sweatshirt and black pants and the other running north in all black near Military Road.

Tonawanda · River Road · Steam Release

Multi-Company Alarm for 'White Smoke' on River Road Manhole Turns Out to Be Steam

Yesterday at 4:48 PM, Town of Tonawanda fire dispatch struck a District 1, Class 1 alarm for white smoke reported rising from a manhole on River Road near Grand Island Boulevard, by the bike path, with patrols already on scene describing a smoke/gas condition.

Several town and village fire companies were dispatched and reported on location in quick succession over the following minutes.

By 4:53 PM, crews on scene called off further response, reporting it was steam rather than smoke, and asked dispatch to reach a representative from Marathon Oil to confirm the company was running its heating equipment nearby.

Grand Island · Love Road · Gas Leak Evacuation

Gas Odor Clears Out Love Road Dollar General

Yesterday at 6:56 PM, Grand Island Fire dispatch reported an odor of natural gas inside the Dollar General at 1853 Love Road, between Glen Avon and Baseline, and sent units to the store.

Crews confirmed a small gas odor inside the structure and had the building evacuated while they worked the scene, with dispatch logging the building clear roughly a half-hour after the initial call.

Buffalo · Marigold Street · Missing Person

Buffalo Police Search for Autistic Man With Epilepsy Near Marigold Street

Yesterday at 3:29 PM, Buffalo police broadcast a missing, vulnerable-person alert, and two minutes later dispatch gave a full description: Juan Luis Reyes, an autistic man with a history of epileptic seizures, had left a home near Marigold Street about ten minutes earlier wearing a dark brown shirt, black pants and red slides.

Dispatch told officers to refer to him as “Kevin” rather than his given name if they encountered him, relaying that his family said he’d “freak out” if called Juan.

Crisis Services responded to the scene and officers began backing off the search minutes later, with dispatch closing out the call without broadcasting further detail on how Reyes was found.

Buffalo · Griffin and Carroll · Stalking Complaint

Woman Reports Known Stalker Following Her Car Near Griffin and Carroll

At 11:25 PM yesterday, Buffalo police sent two A-District units to a business identified on the radio as "Thrust in Progress" near Griffin and Carroll, where a complainant waiting in a beige car reported being followed by a person identified on dispatch as Lewis, described as a known stalker.

Lancaster · Broadway · Safety Check

Scared Motorcyclist's Repeated Drive-Bys Prompt Lancaster Safety Check

At 7:45 PM yesterday, Lancaster police were dispatched to 6136 Broadway after a resident reported that a woman riding what he described as a "crotch rocket" motorcycle had pulled into his driveway, visibly scared, after the male rider who had been with her sped off; she told him she was trying to reach "a Greg" further down Broadway before driving off herself, and the resident told dispatch the male kept circling back past his house, saying he was worried for her safety.

Minutes later, dispatch relayed a second call that the motorcycles were seen going up and down Broadway near Schwartz Road, and an officer headed out to check the area, radioing in shortly after that he was parked on Broadway just west of Schwartz watching for them.

Cheektowaga · Oman Boulevard · Overdose Call

Cheektowaga Officers Rush to Oman Boulevard After Mother Says Son Texted 'Goodbye,' Said He Was Overdosing

Yesterday at 4:55 PM, Cheektowaga police dispatch sent an officer to 35 Oman Boulevard, between Seton and Hughes, for a reported overdose after the caller — the subject's mother — said her son had texted her that he was overdosing right now and told her goodbye.

Officers arriving found an open window and began checking the house themselves, prompting dispatch to pull a second unit off a criminal mischief call and send a third north to Oman to help.

Dispatch also relayed a standing caution on file for the address: a man there, identified on the air as Jesse Lorkowski, "doesn't like police," and the man officers were checking on has a documented history of mental health issues. No resolution of the welfare check was broadcast before the channel moved on.

Cheektowaga · Vera Avenue · Welfare Check

Early-Morning Welfare Check Finds Vera Avenue Woman With Dementia, Convinced Family Is Screaming at Her

At 5:10 AM, Cheektowaga police sent Car 6 to a mental-health call on Vera Avenue between Olcott and Pine Ridge, after dispatch said the woman there — flagged on a standing caution as suffering from dementia with paranoia and hallucinations, and known to always carry knives — had been calling repeatedly, rambling about lottery tickets and people upstairs she believed were printing money, and insisting her family was screaming at her.

An officer walked in without incident a few minutes later; by 5:22 AM the responding unit reported no people and no lottery tickets inside, and that the woman intended to try to get some sleep, closing out the call.

Hamburg · Vehicle Rollover

Teen Driver Walks Away After Car Rolls Onto Its Side in Roadside Woods

Yesterday at 8:15 PM, Hamburg fire dispatch sent Town EMS to a single-vehicle crash on a stretch of road halfway between Schultz and Pleasant, where dispatch said the car had left the roadway and come to rest on its side in roadside woods.

The response was downgraded to a cold, non-emergency run after dispatch confirmed the 18-year-old male driver had already gotten himself out of the vehicle; town police were also notified to handle the accident.

Little Valley · Jersey Hollow Road · Trailer Fire

Little Valley Firefighters Call In Mutual Aid for Jersey Hollow Road Trailer Fire

Yesterday at 8:39 PM, Little Valley Fire radioed a mutual-aid request for its air-cascade system, used to refill firefighters' breathing-air tanks, to 7664 Jersey Hollow Road for a trailer fire, repeating the call to be sure outlying departments picked it up.

Little Valley's chief had radioed Cattaraugus for extra hands minutes earlier, and by 8:40 PM a Cattaraugus chief was on location alongside Little Valley's own engine, which had already begun operations at the Jersey Hollow Road address.

Western New York · Structure Fire

Fire Dispatcher Pages Full Box Assignment After Spotting Flames and Heavy Smoke

Attention tones opened on the FEFD fire dispatch channel yesterday at 8:36 PM for a possible structure fire, with the dispatcher sending a heavy first-alarm assignment — Pumps 2, Rescue 2 and Ladder 2, plus Pumps 3 and Rescue 3 — to the scene.

Seconds later the dispatcher came back over the air to report “a large flow, we see something on fire”, directing crews toward the fire, though the exact address was not clearly broadcast.