Traffic Stop Turns Deadly as Suspect Takes Off, Officer Holds on for Life in Graphic Bodycam Video

It all went down just past midnight on Wednesday when Officer Ronald Ammerman pulled over 25-year-old Dae'von Roberts for driving too fast and having tinted windows, per the Buffalo Police Department. It was the presence of a boy that set things off.

Upon approaching the vehicle, Officer Ammerman noticed a six-year-old boy sitting in the passenger seat without a seat belt on. According to his released bodycam footage, the driver first identified the boy as his "little cousin" and then shortly after as "his nephew."

When asked to provide ID, the driver showed him an out-of-state license on his phone and said it's fine as he gets pulled over "every day." He said he was driving his sister's car. However, when the officer checked into it, he found that Roberts didn't hold a valid license in either state.

As captured in his bodycam footage, Roberts claimed his sister lived nearby and he was on the phone with her. When Ammerman told the suspect he would have to do a different search for his name and have Roberts exit the vehicle. He opened the door, at which point Roberts hit the gas and took off, with the officer hanging onto the door frame for his life.

In a press conference held Thursday, Buffalo Police Department Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia called the footage "extremely, extremely traumatic."

(WARNING: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO HAS GRAPHIC FOOTAGE)

"I was horrified watching this video. I was horrified for the officer," he told the media. "That officer could have been severely injured or killed had it turned out any other way -- had he not taken the action that he took. And I can't imagine being a partner officer watching your partner being driven away at a high rate of speed."

In the footage, Ammerman can be heard repeatedly telling Roberts, "You're gonna kill me, bro," as the car gained speed. He begs for the driver to slow down, telling him he'll "get out" if he does, but Roberts keeps the vehicle moving and driving erratically, ignoring his pleas. He even appears to kick at the officer at one point, as if to push him off the car.

In the footage, the six-year-old in the front seat can be heard crying. After a few horrifying moments like this, Ammerman fires his gun, striking Roberts. The suspect falls out of the vehicle and onto the officer.

Ammerman takes to his radio to report the incident, shouting, "Shots fired! There's a kid in the car still. He tried killing me." He rushed over to the child, who was unharmed after the incident.

Roberts was treated on the scene by Ammerman's partner, Officer Jonathan Crawford and other officers who arrived on the scene, and taken to Erie County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Ammerman was also treated and released with minor injuries.

After obtaining a search warrant to investigate the car, which did not belong to the driver, officers found a handgun under the driver's seat.

Gramaglia said, "I believe that is a justified use of force that occurred the other night." He stated that Roberts was going more than 60mph with Ammerman hanging onto his door. "He was pleading with him to stop," Gramaglia said.

Both Ammerman and Crawford have been placed on administrative leave, per department policy, with Gramaglia explaining, "They're gonna need time to process this."

While police did not immediately identify either the officer or the suspect, WKBW reported that his name was Dae'von Rogers of Buffalo and he was the half-brother of Jaylen Griffin, a 12-year-old boy who went missing in 2020 and whose remains were found in April 2024.

During a memorial for Griffin that month, Roberts allegedly fired gunshots. This led to charges of 2nd degree criminal possession of a weapon, 1st degree reckless endangerment, and 3rd degree criminal mischief, per WIVB.

He was held without bail until the charges were changed to 1st degree attempted assault and 2nd degree criminal possession of a weapon in June, after which he was released under supervision.