Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A Buffalo man involved in an officer-involved shooting last year July in the Town of Amherst will serve the next 15 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.
27-year-old Rayquell Grant was sentenced Wednesday afternoon after he was found guilty by a jury this past March of one count of Attempted Assault in the First Degree (Class "C" violent felony) and one count of Assault in the Second Degree (Class "D" violent felony). He was acquitted of the top count of the indictment, though he was sentenced as a second violent felony offender.
It was back on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at approximately 4:55 p.m. when Amherst Police responded to a residence on the 4800 block of North Bailey Avenue after receiving a 9-1-1 call for a domestic violence-related complaint. The responding officers saw the defendant, who was armed with two large knives, climb out of a rear window.
The defendant immediately ran towards one of the officers and began to stab him with the knives, knocking the officer to the ground.
The injured officer and another officer subsequently discharged their firearms, which resulted in injuries to the defendant. The officer was treated for two stab wounds to his arm.
Grant was taken by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center, where he received treatment for gunshot wounds to his chest and arm.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office conducted a thorough review of the officer-involved shooting and determined the actions of the police officers were justified.
“The sentence imposed reflects the seriousness of this violent attack on a police officer who was responding to a domestic violence call to protect a victim in crisis. I am pleased that the Court sentenced this defendant to the maximum term allowed under the law. No officer should face this kind of brutality while carrying out their duty to keep our community safe,” said Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane in a statement.
