BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Just two months into his role as head of the Buffalo Police Department, as he was doing yard work on a beautiful Saturday in May, Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia received a devastating call.
"I didn't know that this was what it was, just that we had more victims," Gramaglia said. "I immediately called the mayor and let the mayor know. I got in the shower and got ready very quickly and the phone kept ringing."
His phone didn't stop ringing until he got to the Tops on Jefferson Avenue.
"I parked my truck. I used my truck to actually block traffic. I started walking into the parking lot, moving at a pretty quick pace to go and find our duty officer," he said. "That's when I saw the car there that he came in. I saw multiple victims in the parking lot. It's like a gut punch to you."
A punch that hit the entire department.
"There are a lot of people in this department that worked with Aaron Salter," Gramaglia said. "There are several people in this police department that knew victims that were in that store, some of which were in that store responding there that had to be escorted out because they were overcome with grief and emotion. For the people that deal with this on an everyday basis, this is something even more, and that all really takes a toll on people. Then knowing what was behind this. The fact that it was a racially motivated white supremacist that came into our community, from far outside our community, and caused this devastation to our community takes a toll."
"How do you handle the racist aspect of this as a leader within the police department?" asked 7 News reporter Olivia Proia.
"What that person did really set us back," Gramaglia answered. "More importantly, it opened up a conversation. It brought up more conversation that definitely needed to happen, but it set us back."
It also sparked conversations about how this city, state, and entire country move forward.
"I'm not sure the country is learning because it keeps happening," he said. "Some people are learning. Some people are trying to get it right. We need to get those extremes to take a look in the mirror and see what they're really arguing for on both sides and then come back to work and have a real honest conversation."
