Post by WaTcHeR on Aug 10, 2006 12:16:53 GMT -5
08.10.2006 - A Buffalo police officer, arrested for the fourth time in his 20-year career, is accused of pointing his handgun at his girlfriend's head during a domestic argument at Olympic and Kensington avenues early Tuesday.
Officer Antonio Roman, 47, of the Traffic Unit, threatened his 40-year-old girlfriend, who is also a Buffalo police officer, authorities said. Police said the incident occurred Tuesday morning when the two were off-duty and became embroiled in a confrontation. Roman was charged with second-degree menacing, a misdemeanor.
On Wednesday, Roman appeared in handcuffs in a Buffalo City Court's domestic violence courtroom. He is being held in Erie County Holding Center on $5,000 bail. He also has been suspended with pay and is facing departmental charges.
"It was incumbent upon us to take action," Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson said Wednesday. "There is no doubt in my mind that his conduct was clearly inappropriate and life-threatening, and I felt the Police Department needed to take firm action immediately."
Roman is a decorated veteran of the force who has been described by some colleagues as good-natured. In 1996, Roman received a Mayor's Merit Award for Outstanding Police Action. He was also honored by the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association for being Officer of the Month in September 1999 after he chased down a robbery suspect and arrested him without incident.
"He seemed to be a good-natured guy," said Traffic Lt. Thomas J. Masterson, who has supervised Roman for the past five years. "He always did whatever he was told, and I never had any problems when he was working for me. . . . He was going to retire in 12 weeks."
Others paint a different picture. Roman has been arrested four times during his police service and has repeatedly been in trouble with his superiors for poor conduct. In April 1990, he was arrested for allegedly beating his wife before they were divorced. However, the misdemeanor assault charge was later dropped.
In August of the same year, he allegedly threatened another officer with an unloaded shotgun during a three-hour standoff at his Lafayette Avenue home, apparently despondent over his failing marriage. He was later cleared of a charge of misdemeanor menacing.
About five years ago, Roman barricaded himself inside a motor home while vacationing in Virginia with his girlfriend, but it was unclear what became of that case, police officials said.
On May 1, 1998, Roman's brother, Erie County Sheriff's Deputy Juan Roman, shot and killed his estranged wife, Norma, and shot a teacher's aide in School 18 on Hampshire Street. Juan Roman is serving a prison term of 20 years to life.
Gipson said he could not comment on the previous arrests because they happened before he was appointed police commissioner. At about 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, Roman and his girlfriend argued outside Roman's SUV, which was parked at Olympic and Kensington, police said.
"Civilians on the street observed that he had a gun, pointed it at her head, and he was demanding that she get back in his vehicle," Gipson said. "As she was walking toward the vehicle, he stuck the gun at her side, so the civilians confronted him."
Roman got into his vehicle and drove away, while the woman left the scene on foot. The civilians then called 911. About 15 minutes later, Northeast District officers pulled Roman over on Main Street and he "admitted that he had been with [his girlfriend]," Gipson said. The officers questioned Roman and told him to go home and stay away from his girlfriend - as ordered by their police supervisor. Meanwhile, a police lieutenant went to the woman's home to check on her, found her sitting on her porch and "she described the incident to him," Gipson said.
Several hours later on Tuesday, Roman was in full uniform as a volunteer in the police escort for the 10 a.m. funeral for the mother of former Mayor Anthony M. Masiello, Bridget Masiello.
When he returned from the funeral escort to the Seneca Street police garage about 1 p.m., Lts. Richard Ortiz and Carl Terranova of the department's Professional Standards Division arrested him on the orders of Gipson.
On Wednesday afternoon, Roman looked weak and disoriented - with his hands handcuffed behind his back - as he appeared before City Court Judge Sharon LoVallo.
Roman walked slowly into the courtroom and was being held upright by two sheriff deputies. LoVallo told the courtroom that she is ordering a forensic report, which will examine his mental health, "based on reports from the Erie County Holding Center and my observations here in the courtroom."
www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060810/1029536.asp
Officer Antonio Roman, 47, of the Traffic Unit, threatened his 40-year-old girlfriend, who is also a Buffalo police officer, authorities said. Police said the incident occurred Tuesday morning when the two were off-duty and became embroiled in a confrontation. Roman was charged with second-degree menacing, a misdemeanor.
On Wednesday, Roman appeared in handcuffs in a Buffalo City Court's domestic violence courtroom. He is being held in Erie County Holding Center on $5,000 bail. He also has been suspended with pay and is facing departmental charges.
"It was incumbent upon us to take action," Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson said Wednesday. "There is no doubt in my mind that his conduct was clearly inappropriate and life-threatening, and I felt the Police Department needed to take firm action immediately."
Roman is a decorated veteran of the force who has been described by some colleagues as good-natured. In 1996, Roman received a Mayor's Merit Award for Outstanding Police Action. He was also honored by the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association for being Officer of the Month in September 1999 after he chased down a robbery suspect and arrested him without incident.
"He seemed to be a good-natured guy," said Traffic Lt. Thomas J. Masterson, who has supervised Roman for the past five years. "He always did whatever he was told, and I never had any problems when he was working for me. . . . He was going to retire in 12 weeks."
Others paint a different picture. Roman has been arrested four times during his police service and has repeatedly been in trouble with his superiors for poor conduct. In April 1990, he was arrested for allegedly beating his wife before they were divorced. However, the misdemeanor assault charge was later dropped.
In August of the same year, he allegedly threatened another officer with an unloaded shotgun during a three-hour standoff at his Lafayette Avenue home, apparently despondent over his failing marriage. He was later cleared of a charge of misdemeanor menacing.
About five years ago, Roman barricaded himself inside a motor home while vacationing in Virginia with his girlfriend, but it was unclear what became of that case, police officials said.
On May 1, 1998, Roman's brother, Erie County Sheriff's Deputy Juan Roman, shot and killed his estranged wife, Norma, and shot a teacher's aide in School 18 on Hampshire Street. Juan Roman is serving a prison term of 20 years to life.
Gipson said he could not comment on the previous arrests because they happened before he was appointed police commissioner. At about 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, Roman and his girlfriend argued outside Roman's SUV, which was parked at Olympic and Kensington, police said.
"Civilians on the street observed that he had a gun, pointed it at her head, and he was demanding that she get back in his vehicle," Gipson said. "As she was walking toward the vehicle, he stuck the gun at her side, so the civilians confronted him."
Roman got into his vehicle and drove away, while the woman left the scene on foot. The civilians then called 911. About 15 minutes later, Northeast District officers pulled Roman over on Main Street and he "admitted that he had been with [his girlfriend]," Gipson said. The officers questioned Roman and told him to go home and stay away from his girlfriend - as ordered by their police supervisor. Meanwhile, a police lieutenant went to the woman's home to check on her, found her sitting on her porch and "she described the incident to him," Gipson said.
Several hours later on Tuesday, Roman was in full uniform as a volunteer in the police escort for the 10 a.m. funeral for the mother of former Mayor Anthony M. Masiello, Bridget Masiello.
When he returned from the funeral escort to the Seneca Street police garage about 1 p.m., Lts. Richard Ortiz and Carl Terranova of the department's Professional Standards Division arrested him on the orders of Gipson.
On Wednesday afternoon, Roman looked weak and disoriented - with his hands handcuffed behind his back - as he appeared before City Court Judge Sharon LoVallo.
Roman walked slowly into the courtroom and was being held upright by two sheriff deputies. LoVallo told the courtroom that she is ordering a forensic report, which will examine his mental health, "based on reports from the Erie County Holding Center and my observations here in the courtroom."
www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060810/1029536.asp
