Buffalo Police Release Body Cam Footage of Deadly Shooting

Charles Butler, 58, was killed after refusing to drop knives and charging at officers.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 10:51pm

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Buffalo police have released body camera footage showing the fatal shooting of Charles Butler, 58, on March 5. The video shows officers telling Butler to come out of his room before kicking in the door, where they encountered Butler holding two knives. After tasing Butler and him continuing to charge at them, an officer shot him twice, resulting in his death.

Why it matters

The release of the body camera footage provides transparency around a deadly police shooting, which has become an increasingly scrutinized issue in communities across the country. The incident also raises questions about how police handle encounters with individuals experiencing mental health crises.

The details

In the body camera footage, officers can be seen and heard telling Butler to come out of his room before kicking in the door. Once inside, they encountered Butler holding two knives, and after tasing him and him continuing to charge at them, an officer shot him twice, resulting in his death.

  • The incident occurred on March 5, 2026.
  • The body camera footage was released on March 12, 2026.

The players

Charles Butler

A 58-year-old man who was shot and killed by Buffalo police after refusing to drop two knives he was holding.

Craig Macy

The interim Buffalo Police Commissioner, who defended the officers' decision to use deadly force during a news conference.

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What they’re saying

“We're very fortunate that we have people that are always willing to put themselves in harm's way. They have information that people are being held in there, things are unclear, and once they did breach the door, they did not enter that room. That should be taken into consideration. They were attempting to call him out, at which point we obviously see from the video that he has two knives and he charges.”

— Craig Macy, Interim Buffalo Police Commissioner (wgrz.com)

What’s next

The incident is under investigation, and the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome.

The takeaway

This tragic incident highlights the need for improved police training and protocols when responding to individuals experiencing mental health crises, in order to prioritize de-escalation and minimize the use of deadly force.