BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — New York Attorney General Letitia James announced her Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office (LEMIO) has released its report on a use of force incident involving the current City of Tonawanda Police Chief Robert Clontz.
According to the AG, the investigation is in connection to a July 2022 incident involving the use of force against two teenage boys by a TPD officer. Chief Clontz was a Detective Lieutenant at the time of the incident.
The AG's office provided the following overview of the incident in a release:
"On July 20, 2022, two brothers aged 16 (Minor 1) and 15 (Minor 2) were attending an outdoor festival when they were stopped at the corner of Main Street and Niagara Street in Tonawanda by Det. Lt. Clontz and other TPD officers. The officers directed Minor 2, who had been riding a bicycle, to dismount and continue on foot. The brothers then proceeded to cross the Renaissance Bridge from Tonawanda to North Tonawanda.
Det. Lt. Clontz followed the boys, eventually catching up to them on the bridge. He pushed Minor 1 twice and repeatedly instructed the boys to keep going. Minor 1 took out his cellphone to begin recording the encounter, at which point Det. Lt. Clontz put his hand on Minor 1’s neck and told him he was under arrest. Minor 1 ducked Det. Lt. Clontz and continued to walk, when Det. Lt. Clontz grabbed his arms from behind.
Minor 2 then began to film the encounter with his cellphone. When a civilian bystander asks if he can help, Det. Lt. Clontz allows him to put his arm around Minor 1’s neck. Other officers arrive, and they place Minor 1 in handcuffs. Det. Lt. Clontz then approaches Minor 2 and places him in what appears to be a chokehold that may only legally be used when deadly force is authorized and which was not permissible under the circumstances. He falls to the ground and holds Minor 2 prone by the neck for about a minute. Det. Lt. Clontz said he was attempting to use a move he had seen demonstrated online in a mixed martial arts video, and that it was the first time he had attempted the move. He claimed he was not attempting an illegal chokehold."
The AG's office said the investigation which included a review of documentary evidence, body-worn camera footage, social media videos, and interviews concluded that Clontz:
- Improperly arrested a 16-year-old and 15-year-old without reasonable cause
- Used excessive force in effecting the arrest of the 15-year-old
- Displayed poor decision-making throughout the encounter, unnecessarily escalating the situation
In the report, the LEMIO issued the following recommendations to the department:
- Discipline Clontz
- Update its use of force policy to comply with state law
- Provide training on use of force and interacting with minors to its officers
7 News has reached out to the City of Tonawanda Police Department and the City of Tonawanda Mayor's Office, we are waiting to hear back.
You can find the full report online here.
