Articles for Investigative Post staff

Nov 8

2020

iPost launches two fundraising drives

Investigative Post has launched its annual fundraising drive and this year there are two reasons to donate to Buffalo’s nonprofit investigative reporting center. For starters, donations of up to $1,000 will be matched. Donors get to double their money.  In addition, donations will not only underwrite our current operation but be put towards funding a plan to add reporters and expand our award-winning coverage. It’s part of our Journalism Worth A Million campaign that extends through the end of 2021. “Investigative Post is the only news organization in Western New York that is adding staff, expanding news coverage and growing[...]

Posted 5 years ago

Oct 12

2020

Help wanted: muckraking reporters

We’re in the hunt for a couple of experienced muckraking reporters. We’re seeking job candidates with investigative reporting skills and experience producing, or a willingness to learn to produce, stories for online, television and radio. Newspaper, television and radio experience are all valued, as are data skills. Reporting and writing skills are paramount. A minimum of five years experience is preferred. We produce fact-based, high-impact stories for our website and our television and radio partners, including WGRZ, the NBC affiliate for Buffalo, and WBFO, the NPR outlet for Western New York. Our multiple partnerships enable us to reach an audience[...]

Posted 5 years ago

Sep 29

2020

Merrill elected president of Investigative Post

Dr. Michael Merrill has been elected president of the board of directors of Investigative Post. Merrill is medical director, clinical performance management, with Independent Health. Before attending medical school, he worked as a newspaper reporter for three years after graduating from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. “Investigative Post is the most important nonprofit in Buffalo because it puts everybody on notice that if they misbehave, there’s a risk of getting caught,” he said. Merrill succeeds Jody Kleinberg Biehl. Previous presidents include two veteran investigative reporters, David Cay Johnston and Lee Coppola. “Mike has been an enthusiastic board member[...]

Posted 5 years ago

Sep 24

2020

No more name tags for Buffalo cops

Concerned with officer safety following an uptick in online harassment, Buffalo Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood is no longer requiring Buffalo cops to display name tags on their uniforms. Many officers had been ignoring the previous edict requiring officers to display their name tags on their outermost garments since anti-racism protests began in late May. Members of the public, including demonstrators, have said the absence of name tags makes it impossible to identify officers engaged in misconduct.   According to Captain Jeffrey Rinaldo, the department’s spokesman, the policy was altered last Friday after more than a dozen police officers were doxed —[...]

Posted 5 years ago

Sep 10

2020

Few arrested protesters being prosecuted

Authorities are prosecuting fewer than a quarter of the 54 protesters arrested in racial justice demonstrations staged in and around Buffalo since late May. Most of the charges initially brought against protesters were for nonviolent incidents like violating a curfew, disorderly conduct and harassment in the second degree. More serious charges included arson, aggravated assault of a police officer and criminal possession of a weapon. Most who were arrested have had their charges dismissed. Here’s the breakdown:  32 protesters had their charges dismissed by a judge. 11 received adjournments in contemplation of dismissal, or ACDs. 10 are headed toward prosecution.[...]

Posted 5 years ago

Sep 3

2020

Buffalo cop under investigation after scuffle 

A twice-suspended Buffalo police officer is under investigation by Internal Affairs after he was caught on camera Thursday afternoon punching a man on Elmwood Avenue.  The officer, Richard Hy, was off-duty at the time and dressed in camouflage. He’s white, the man he punched was black, someone described by police and witnesses as displaying mental distress and violent behavior. The video was posted to Facebook and later deleted. The poster, Abu Pablo, wrote: “Person in military fatigues assaults mentally deranged man while I sip coffee.” Another witness told Investigative Post the video does not tell the full story.  “This wasn’t[...]

Posted 5 years ago

Aug 10

2020

Jail guard suspended after confrontation

An Erie County Sheriff’s Office employee has been placed on administrative leave after being caught on camera menacing Black Lives Matter protesters with a baseball bat during a march Saturday evening in South Buffalo. A video shared more than 300 times on Facebook shows a man wearing an “All Lives Matter” t-shirt climbing out of his pickup truck, then cursing and approaching protesters waving an aluminum bat. An estimated 100 to 150 protesters were marching near Mount Mercy Academy.  Commenters on the post identified the man as a corrections officer with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office who was off-duty at[...]

Posted 6 years ago
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