Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "It’s very unfortunate that it ended like this. It’s terrible for the family, terrible for the officers that had to respond," said Buffalo Police Commissioner Joe Gramaglia, who met with reporters on Monday, two days after a deadly use of force situation that resulted in the death of 58-year-old Edward Holmes of Reed Street on Saturday.
"Unfortunately, they were put in that position where they had to discharge their weapons. That’s something they’re going to live with and it’s going to be with them," Gramaglia added.
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That's where the WNY Law Enforcement Helpline steps-in.
"Whenever there is a loss of life, it's a tragedy," said retired police officer Tony LeBrun.
LeBrun is working with Buffalo Police to provide support to current police officers and their families.
"Those officers had to do a job that they did not want to do. No one wants to take someone's life. Unfortunately, deadly physical force had to be used. Everyone," he said. "Including the family of the individual who was killed has to go through the trauma and stress of the situation. For law enforcement, it becomes extremely difficult because everyday is trauma and stress. there is no good day for law enforcement. Every call an officer goes to, is for someone who is experiencing some form of crisis. They may be having the
worst day of their life, and an officer has to come there and sort through it."
LeBrun says Buffalo Police has a very active peer team that would have responded immediately to assist the officers in this situation. LeBrun cited studies that show the sooner they have the ability to speak with a trained peer, after an incident, it helps reduce the rate of post traumatic stress disorder. LeBrun added, that law enforcement has four times the rate of the general public to develop PTSD because of constant on the job stress.
"An average officer on patrol witnesses, on average, 188 incidents of trauma in a year. Over a career, it's 3,700 incidents of trauma. No one should have to see so much trauma," he said.