BUFFALO, N.Y. — An investigation has been launched after two Buffalo Police officers shot and killed a man Saturday morning.
The shooting happened shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday, when officers responded to call of a man with a gun, on the 100 block of Reed Street, between Sycamore and Broadway.
When police arrived, they found a man in the street holding a 12-gauge shotgun, Buffalo Police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said during a 3 p.m. news conference.
"Officers exited their patrol cars and took cover behind their patrol car doors," Gramaglia said.
Within less than 30 seconds of their arrival, Gramaglia said officers "had given numerous commands for the individual to put the gun down."
The man — identified Sunday as 58-year-old Edward Holmes of Buffalo — discharged one round from the shotgun, and two officers then returned fire. The man was shot multiple times.
Gramaglia said officers used a tactical approach because the man still had the shotgun. Once there, police began rendering First Aid and called for an ambulance. Buffalo Fire Department personnel attempted live-saving measures once they arrived, but the man was declared dead at the scene.
"At this point, it appears that the phone number that was used to call 911 belongs to that individual," Gramaglia said. "So we are investigating that he was, in fact, the individual that called. The information that came in from the 911 call, (they) called about somebody else that had a gun."
The 911 called received by Buffalo Police included a "very full" description of the man and his clothing.
The two officers on the scene are now on administrative leave, following with police protocol. Police collected weapons used and shell casings, and were going over body cameras.
"There was a definite shot that was fired," Gramaglia said. "We recovered the shotgun. We recovered one spent shell casing from that 12-gauge shotgun. But what direction was fired in, that I don't know."
Gramaglia confirmed that the New York State Attorney General's Office was on site, and on Sunday police identified Holmes as the person who was shot and killed.
Kwanna Holmes, Holmes' sister, says she isn't sure what happened. She was out with her son when she got a phone call about her brother.
"My brother did call the police seeking help, and I'm just sad because he called for help, so instead of trying to de-escalate by calling crisis services in, they took his life," Kawanna said. "Bystanders let me know that my brother was killed by the police."
Holmes' granddaughter, Nashay Scott, said Holmes was trying to get away from someone.
"He called the police to get a lady away from him. He's been going through it with this lady for a couple of days now. He's been trying to get away from her," Scott said. "She keeps harassing him, breaking his windows, trying to fight him, trying to have her sons fight him, so today he called the cops because I guess he had enough of it."
Now siblings, grandkids, and kids are looking for justice for what happened to Edward Holmes.
"He was at his home. It was unfortunate our father was laying in the street, passed away," Larry Holmes said.