Hugh Davis, Jr. Obituary, Death News; Authorities release identity of man fatally shot by Cheektowaga police.
Hugh Davis, Jr. Obituary, Death News – Authorities have released further details about the police shooting that took place Wednesday in North Buffalo, in which a Cheektowaga police officer fatally shot a man during an attempted arrest.
The man killed was identified as 60-year-old Hugh Davis Jr. of Buffalo, according to the Cheektowaga Police Department. Chief of Police Brian Coons said the incident unfolded when four Cheektowaga officers traveled to Buffalo to arrest Davis for an alleged assault that had occurred earlier in the week at a Cheektowaga hotel. Under New York state law, officers are permitted to make such arrests outside their jurisdiction.
Chief Coons explained that during the arrest attempt, Davis allegedly attacked the officers with a large knife. “The officers came into contact with Mr. Davis. He then lunged at the officers with a large knife, narrowly missing the first officer, and then swiped again, nearly hitting a second officer in the unprotected areas of the neck and chest,” Coons said. He added that one officer, perceiving an immediate threat, fired three rounds from a department-issued 9mm handgun, striking Davis, who was still armed and advancing toward them. No officers sustained physical injuries during the confrontation.
Details about why police sought Davis stem from a violent incident at a Genesee Street hotel in Cheektowaga on Monday. According to Chief Coons, Davis had been staying at the hotel when he discovered damage fees had been added to his bill. He allegedly became aggressive with a male employee at the front entrance, ultimately punching the worker in the head. The staff member suffered serious injuries and remains hospitalized in a medically induced coma. Investigators identified Davis as the suspect and notified both Cheektowaga police supervisors and the Buffalo Police Department of their intention to arrest him at an address on Sanders Road.
Following the shooting, Cheektowaga police confirmed that body camera footage exists but will not be released publicly until it has been shown to Davis’ family. The footage has already been shared with the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the Buffalo Police Department, both of which are conducting parallel investigations into the incident.
Chief Coons emphasized that the decision to use lethal force came only after Davis’s repeated attempts to stab the officers, noting that the knife strikes narrowly missed vulnerable areas on two of them. The investigation will examine all aspects of the shooting, the events leading up to it, and whether police actions were consistent with department policy and state law.
The fatal encounter has drawn public attention due to the severity of the alleged prior assault and the circumstances of the deadly confrontation. While the officers involved remain unidentified pending the investigation, authorities have pledged transparency in the process, with updates expected once Davis’s family has been briefed and the initial investigative steps are complete.
