CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — A Cheektowaga Police Department officer injured in a hit-and-run is continuing to recover and heading to Chicago to begin his rehabilitation journey, according to his family.
Officer Troy Blackchief, who is 45 years old, was part of a larger response for Cheektowaga and Depew Police, who were responding to reports of stolen vehicles around 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 6, 2023. That incident soon turned into a chase.
During that chase, Blackchief attempted to deploy stop sticks when he was hit by the stolen vehicle. Since then Blackchief underwent surgery and has been recovering at ECMC.
On Wednesday, the Cheektowaga Police released an update with a letter from his family. The letter said Blackchief would be traveling to a rehabilitation facility in Chicago and after that, he will come back to have a cranioplasty.
Blackchief is a 17-year veteran of the department and he's also one of two officers credited with saving a dog from Ellicott Creek in 2021.
Police said the alleged suspect's vehicle, a Jeep Grand Cherokee with New York license plate KKS5300 was located on Nicholson Street in the City of Buffalo. It was towed to the Cheektowaga Police Department for processing by crime scene investigators.
Crime Stoppers WNY has offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects responsible for this crime.
CPD asks anyone with information to call Lt. Dan Albrecht at (716) 686-7461 or text the confidential tip line at TIP411 (847411) and start your message with CPDNY.