BUFFALO, N.Y. — Eric County District Attorney John Flynn held a news presser on Tuesday to provide an update on an officer-involved shooting that happened on Hertel Avenue last week.
The DA announced that the two officers who fired their weapons, Phillip Edwards and Michael Ramos, have been cleared following an investigation.
Dominique D. Thomas,30, was arraigned Tuesday afternoon on two counts of menacing a Police Officer, one count for each officer (Class “D” felonies).
"It is quite frankly crystal clear that both officers had justification for discharging their weapons due to the fact that Mr. Thomas lunged at them with a knife," Flynn said.
On March 14, officers were called to the 1900 block of Hertel Avenue just after 4:30 a.m. When they arrived, Thomas was at the top of the stairwell holding a large knife and refused to put down the weapon after multiple commands to do so.
The officers recognized the man was having a mental health crisis and they retreated. Allegedly, Thomas kept coming after them outside the building. It was at that point that the officers opened fire, according to BPD.
Thomas was taken to ECMC where he was treated for multiple injuries. The police officers were not injured during the incident.
As to whether or not a behavioral health specialist or social worker should have been present, DA Flynn replied, "the short answer is it was not a mental health call. It was a 911 call where the person on the other end of the call said that someone is trying to kill me."
Thomas was also arraigned Tuesday morning on one count of menacing in the Third Degree in a separate case. The DA's office said that on August 4, 2020, Thomas allegedly threatened to kill his doctor after being treated at ECMC.
He is scheduled to return on both cases on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. If found guilty, Thomas faces up to 7 years behind bars.
A forensic examination was ordered by the Court to assess the defendant’s mental health.
RELATED STORY: