Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announces that 35 year- old Marcus Peoples of 113 Hastings Street in the City of Buffalo pleaded guilty to Menacing a Police Officer and three counts of Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree before State Supreme Court Justice Deborah A. Haendiges. These are the highest charges for which the defendant could have been convicted had he gone to trial.  In other words, Peoples did not receive a so-called “plea bargain” and was instead prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 

On December 24, 2014, Peoples verbally assaulted his estranged girlfriend, causing her to flee her second floor apartment on Clinton Ave. in the City of Buffalo. Peoples remained and began to destroy the apartment, causing Buffalo Police Officers to respond to the scene. Demonstrating his reverence to both law enforcement and the property rights of others, Peoples smashed through the windows, taunted the police from the second floor porch, and threatened to burn down the residence as he lit money on fire.

Concerned for their safety, Lt. Brian Britzzalaro escorted the residents of the lower flat from their apartment. This inspired Peoples to begin throwing knives at the police. Peoples also threw other items out of the upper apartment, including Christmas presents. The SWAT team arrived and Peoples eventually surrendered after a lengthy stand-off.

Shockingly, Peoples was on parole at the time of his crimes and he boasts a lengthy criminal history which includes two prior felony convictions. He faces up to seven years in state prison when sentenced by Justice Haendiges on May 20, 2015 at 2:00 p.m.

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Anthony M. Rossi, who is assigned to DA Sedita’s Felony Trial Bureau. DA Sedita also lauded the efforts of the Buffalo Police, noting: “In contrast to the false narrative promoted by others, including some segments of the national media, this case once again demonstrates the skillful manner in which professional police officers defused a volatile situation and brought yet another miscreant to the bar of justice.”