Feds: 3 Buffalo cops used excessive force on teens

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BUFFALO (AP) — A retired Buffalo police lieutenant and two active officers have been indicted on charges of using excessive force against four teenagers, one of whom was shot with a BB gun after a 2009 arrest, authorities announced Wednesday.

Officers Raymond Krug and Joseph Wendel were suspended with pay Tuesday after being accused in the federal indictment of violating the teens’ civil rights, Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda said at a news conference.

“These officers stand accused of shooting one of the young men who had already been placed in the police car, who had already been in handcuffs, shooting that young man two times with a BB gun,” U.S. Attorney William Hochul said.

Lt. Gregory Kwiatkowski, who retired in 2011, was accused of beating the suspects, who were 17 and 18 at the time, at the scene and at the police station, according to a related civil lawsuit against the officers that was settled in December. Documents filed as part of the civil suit said the teens had been arrested for shooting a BB gun from a car into a crowd of people.