BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The woman who drove through a crowd of police officers during protest aftermath on Bailey Avenue has been formally charged and arraigned.
30-year-old Deyanna Davis was virtually arraigned in Buffalo City Court Wednesday on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, assault in the 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property.
New York State Police say two of their officers were injured as a result. Ronald Ensminger Jr. a 19-year member of the NYSP suffered a shattered pelvis and a broken leg. Randall A. Shenefiel a 17-year member of the NYSP suffered a hand/wrist injury. A Buffalo Police Officer was also injured.
“I have a police officer who was run over, that can’t happen. That’s not going to be tolerated,” said Erie County DA John Flynn.
“She turned into the chaos not knowing what was going on,” said Ayanna Carr, Davis’ mother.
Davis’ mother spoke exclusively with 7 Eyewitness News Tuesday saying her daughter was coming home from a funeral party and wound up in the mess on Bailey. She says with shots ringing out in the area where riots were going on, her daughter panicked and started to swerve. She says tear gas being thrown into the crowd created a cloud she couldn’t see through.
“It was not intentional and our family understands the pain the officers are going through,” she said.
“Those two pieces of evidence contradict that narrative,” he said.
Davis’ mother told us her daughter was shot four times from the incident and was paralyzed, but New York State Police tell us she was shot once, is not paralyzed and walked herself into central booking Wednesday.
Two other people, 25-year-old Semaj T. Pigram of Buffalo and 28-year-old Walter B. Stewart, Jr. have been charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property. Prosecutors say a loaded stolen handgun was found in the vehicle, and Pigram and Steward were passengers in the car at the time of the incident.
Davis is being held on $200,000 bail and is due back in court later this month.
On Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Davis, Pigram and Stewart were indicted by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison, if convicted.
According to the indictment, "all three defendants were in possession of a semi-automatic 9mm handgun despite previous felony convictions. Davis was previously been convicted in March 2010, in Erie County Court; Pigram was previously convicted in June 2016, in Erie County Court; and Stewart was previously convicted in July 2012, also in Erie County Court."
