A suspect and store clerk were both transported to ECMC with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds Wednesday evening after Buffalo Police happened upon an alleged armed robbery at a 7-Eleven at the corner of Prospect Ave. and Connecticut St.
According to BPD, two officers entered the store near the D'Youville University campus at about 8:42 p.m. as customers and immediately observed an armed robbery in progress. In a press conference Thursday morning, Acting Police Commissioner Craig Macy said the two officers took defensive positions outside the store.
The suspect, a 42-year-old male from the City of Buffalo, shot the store clerk in the groin/upper leg and then, as he ran out the store, pointed the gun at one of the officers, Macy said.
The officer fired her gun at the suspect, hitting him in the arm, before the male entered a vehicle and got into a multi-car accident near Massachusetts and Prospect, Macy said. Macy added that the car the suspect left in did not belong to him, but stopped short of confirming it was a carjacking. Macy also said the other cars in the accident were unoccupied, parked cars.
Macy added there were no other occupants in the store at the time of the incident.
The store clerk has already been treated and released from their wounds. The suspect remains at ECMC as of Thursday morning's press conference and will be charged.
Macy said the investigation will work through the District Attorney's office and the officers will be administrative leave during that time. He added that body cam footage and other video and audio of the incident that might be available will be released to the public in two to three days.