Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Erie County Sheriff's Office has released extensive airborne video of a pursuit of those responsible for a stolen vehicle in the City of Buffalo.
The Air 1 helicopter was on a routine training flight over the City of Buffalo on Thursday when Buffalo Police officers observed a stolen Alpha Romeo SUV, reported out of West Seneca, in the area of E. Delavan Avenue and Eggert Road and requested assistance from the aircrew.
Air 1 utilized onboard equipment to establish visual contact and track the vehicle. The suspects proceeded to a parking lot off of Ellicott Street, where the aircrew observed them fleeing the SUV and getting into a stolen Honda Civic.
The aircrew maintained observation of the suspects, who were later observed entering a parking lot on W. Delavan Avenue and the three fled the vehicle.
Two suspects - Alexander Wilson, 19, of Buffalo and Abreia Tucker, 19, of Buffalo – were apprehended by Buffalo Police patrol in the parking lot. The third suspect, a 16-year-old juvenile offender, was apprehended by police patrol in a yard on Lafayette Avenue with assistance from the thermal imager on Air 1.
All three are charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Grand Larceny and other charges.
"Air 1 is a critical asset to assist Buffalo Police patrol in safely dealing with the current statewide issue of stolen cars," Buffalo Police Chief of Detectives W. Craig Macy said following the incident.
"It is more critical than ever for law enforcement agencies to work together," said Erie County Sheriff John Garcia. "As this case demonstrates, our Aviation Unit is second to none. We welcome requests for their assistance from our partners."