CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A patrolman with the Cheektowaga Police Department suffered injuries requiring surgery when he was hit by a suspect vehicle during a police chase on Monday morning.
As of Monday afternoon, police say the officer underwent surgery and is in critical condition.
Police report vehicles were stolen from Penora Street in Depew around 4:30 a.m. on Monday.
The chase started in Depew on Walden Avenue and Dick Road, then crossed into Cheektowaga, where Cheektowaga police became involved. The chase, which involved two suspect vehicles, both stolen, then traveled north on Union Road toward Genesee Street.
The Cheektowaga Police Department reports Officer Troy Blackchief was in the area of that intersection attempting to deploy stop sticks when one of the suspect vehicles hit him.
"As you can imagine, you know, it's a difficult time for everyone here," Chief Brian Gould said during a press conference Monday morning.
Other officers at the scene immediately stopped to provide aid to Officer Blackchief. He was taken to Erie County Medical Center and underwent surgery. As of 3 p.m. Tuesday police said Blackchief remains in critical but stable condition and the doctors are cautiously optimistic.
Blackchief is a 17-year veteran of the force and serves on the SWAT team and patrol division. He has three children. The department says his family was able to see him at the hospital before he went into surgery.
Investigators recovered one of the two suspect vehicles at a gas station on Kensington Avenue, where it had been abandoned.
Monday afternoon, with the help of the Buffalo Police Department, a second suspect vehicle was recovered on Nicholson Street in Buffalo.
Police said no suspects have been apprehended at this point. Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect(s) responsible.
Anyone who has information that could assist police in their investigation can contact police in one of the following ways:
- Call 716-686-7461
- Text anonymous tips to 847-411, begin the message with "CPDNY"
- Submit an anonymous tip to cpdny.org
Gould said investigators are working to track down the suspects by combing through digital evidence and videos.
"We're gonna find you. So, at this point, you know, you're better off just coming out, letting us know what happened, and letting the system do what it does because we will find these people I'm confident of that we have the vehicle involved so we will find them
