By Matt Gryta
Buffalo News
BUFFALO, New York — A Buffalo police officer responding to a domestic call on Walden Avenue Wednesday afternoon shot an armed man who ran from the house and then wrestled with the officer, police said.
“The suspect apparently reached for the weapon several times — even during the struggle with the officer, placing the officer in imminent fear for his life,” said Dennis J. Richards, chief of detectives.
Lamont Cooper, 19, was shot in the upper leg. He was taken to Erie County Medical Center by ambulance — where he remained under police guard Wednesday night. His injuries are believed to be non life-threatening.
Police were sent to 935 Walden at 3:50 p.m. on a call regarding an assault, and were told that a man had a gun.
Cooper pulled a 9 mm handgun on officers as they got to the front door, Police Benevolent Association attorney Thomas H. Burton told The Buffalo News. Cooper at first fled into the backyard but then turned around and ran out toward Walden, where he was confronted by one of the officers, Burton said.
“The guy is lucky he was only shot in the thigh to end the struggle, because a second shot would likely [have been more serious],” Burton said.
Burton said Cooper and the officer wrestled as the man was holding the 9 mm handgun with a live round in the chamber. That’s when the 18-year police veteran shot him in self-defense with his service weapon, the lawyer said.
Cooper was charged with three counts of assault and harassment stemming from the original incident at the house. He additionally was accused of possession of a loaded weapon, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and menacing a police officer.
“As is policy when there is an officer-involved shooting, Buffalo police homicide detectives and the Internal Affairs Unit investigate the incident,” Police Department spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge said.
The shooting occurred on the East Side in a tree-lined neighborhood with mostly well-tended, two-story homes. Officers remained in the neighborhood for several hours after the shooting.
Police and Burton declined to name the officer involved in the shooting.
Burton and police said Cooper was granted a youthful offender plea in a Buffalo school gun case last year.
This was at least the sixth time this year that Buffalo police have used a firearm on a suspect. Two of those shootings were fatal. Police officials have said that in all of the cases, the use of such force was necessary and justified.
Copyright 2012 The Buffalo News