Buffalo, NY – Erie County Sheriff Timothy B. Howard reports the incident in the Town of Concord yesterday ended peacefully due to the expertise of a sheriff’s negotiator.

On Thursday, February 25, at approximately 1:30 p.m., Deputy Barbaritz arrived at the Ridge Trail residence while investigating an earlier hit and run accident that caused minor property damage.  Deputy Barbaritz was in the process of issuing an appearance ticket when the subject pulled a handgun from his waistband and approached the patrol vehicle.  Deputy Barbaritz immediately maneuvered to a safe position and contacted dispatch for additional units.

Dispatchers made contact with Frank Vella, 50 years-old, and connected the subject with the Sheriff’s Negotiation Team.   Deputy Meredith, a negotiation team member, communicated with the subject over the course of the incident and the Deputy was able to bring a peaceful resolution to the incident when Vella surrendered to the Sheriff’s Office.

The subject was taken to a sheriff’s substation where he was charged with a felony count of menacing a police officer.  Vella was later transported to the Erie County Holding Center where he remains pending his arraignment.