HAMBURG, N.Y. — It’s been three days since a Hamburg police officer fired his weapon and killed 36-year-old Lisa Haight of Jamestown.
Hamburg police gave a press conference late Friday but did not take any questions, so a lot of key information is still missing.
For the first time since the officer-involved shooting, the officer’s attorney Tom Burton spoke with 2 On Your Side over the phone Monday.
Authorities say the incident started early Friday morning when Haight stabbed a passenger in a van on the Thruway, causing serious injury.
She then made her way to Willett Road in Hamburg and robbed a home before breaking into a second home on McKinley Parkway where officers confronted her.
There, Burton’s client allegedly discharged his weapon and killed the 36-year-old.
The officer has since been placed on administrative leave, but Burton said it is not for punitive reasons.
Burton could not answer several of 2 On Your Side’s questions, as the information has not been made public yet, but Hamburg police are expected to provide further information at a briefing on Tuesday.
However, he did speak on the lack of a body cam.
2 On Your Side: “Could you tell me if your client was wearing a body cam?”
Burton: “No, there was no body cam. … I wish they did have body cams. It would prove exactly why this shoot was justified.
2 On Your Side: “Do you know why he wasn't wearing a body cam?”
Burton: “The whole department doesn’t have them. They haven’t funded them yet.”
Despite the lack of video evidence, the officer's attorney said he’s confident his client will be brought back on ordinary duty and that the Attorney General’s mandatory investigation will side favorably with his client.
“It's no accident these officers are fully cooperating with their own department, and their department is already scheduling interviews with the Attorney General's office,” Burton said. “We want the AG’s office to know what happened because I'm very confident it'll result in the officer being cleared for what was the justified use of deadly force.”