(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y. – A retired Buffalo police officer pleaded guilty on Tuesday to shooting a 14-year-old boy outside the Marine Drive Apartment complex last year, Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced.
Antonio Roman, 67, admitted to one count of Assault in the Second Degree and one count of Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree, both Class D felonies, ahead of his scheduled non-jury trial.
The incident occurred on February 8, 2024, at approximately 7:30 a.m., when Roman confronted a group of individuals in the complex’s parking lot, suspecting them of breaking into vehicles. During the encounter, Roman used his legally owned handgun to shoot a 14-year-old male in the leg. The group then fled in a vehicle later confirmed to be stolen from Amherst. The injured teen was transported by ambulance to Oishei Children’s Hospital, where he underwent surgery.
Roman, who remains free on previously posted bail, faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for May 14, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.
The Buffalo Police Department’s Gun Violence Unit led the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Frank A. Strano of the Major Crimes Bureau and Chief Eugene T. Partridge III of the Homicide Bureau.
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