Niagara County District Attorney Brian Seaman has been appointed special prosecutor to review the alleged cover-up involving Erie County Sheriff's Office Chief of Narcotics Daniel "DJ" Granville.
Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane released the following statement on the matter on Wednesday:
I asked the Court to appoint a special prosecutor to review the April 2024 incident involving Chief D.J. Granville of the Erie County Sheriffs Office. Recently, the Buffalo Police Departments Internal Affairs Division contacted my office for consultation regarding its ongoing investigation. As a close family relative of Chief Granville is an employee of the Erie County District Attorneys Office, there is the potential appearance of impropriety with this office advising the Buffalo Police Department on this matter. Therefore, my office filed an application for a special prosecutor to handle the duties of a District Attorney pertaining to this incident. Today, the application was granted by Erie County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio who appointed Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman to serve as the special prosecutor.Granville is accused of being involved in a hit-and-run crash while in an impaired condition in April 2024, according to a lawsuit filed last year. He allegedly struck seven parked cars in the area of Jersey Street and Prospect Avenue on Buffalos West Side.
WATCH: Photos show damaged Erie County Sheriff's Office pick-up truck involved in alleged hit-and-run cover-up
Photos show damaged Erie County Sheriff's Office truck involved in alleged hit-and-run cover-upVideo, obtained by The Buffalo News, appears to show Granville driving the wrong way down Prospect Avenue before crashing into two parked cars. He then slowly backs up and drives away. In the footage, a woman can be heard screaming after the crash, questioning what happened.
Video appears to show ECSO chief Granville hit parked cars as questions surround alleged cover-upSettlements related to the alleged incident have already cost Erie County taxpayers nearly $60,000.
City and county lawmakers continue to push for more information.
Buffalos Common Council has invited the Buffalo Police Commissioner to discuss the incident at its Police Oversight Committee meeting on April 17 One week later, on April 24, Erie County legislators will hold their own meeting to further investigate what happenedWhen asked about the crash during a news conference on March 11, Erie County Sheriff John Garcia dismissed concerns, saying: Its a car accidentits allegedly unless I hear otherwise, which I havent.
WATCH: Erie County Lawmakers call for investigation into alleged hit-and-run cover-up
Erie County lawmakers call for investigation into alleged hit-and-run cover-upThere have been questions about whether the alleged crash was due to a medical episode. However, 7 News has confirmed that neither the Buffalo Fire Department nor AMR ambulance crews responded to the scene that night, indicating no medical emergency was reported.


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