Female Buffalo Police Captain Suspended After Meeting with Officer who Killed Wife in Niagara County

Buffalo Police officials have suspended a department captain who met in person with Officer Lance Woods hours before he was arrested and charged in the fatal shooting of his wife in Sanborn.

City and police officials confirmed Wednesday that the captain – whose name has not been released – has been placed on paid suspension pending the outcome of an internal investigation. The department said the captain spoke with Woods at the D-District station on Hertel Avenue Saturday evening, shortly after his wife was found dead and before his early-morning arrest.

Officials declined to identify the captain, citing department policy.

“The department remains committed to accountability, due process, and maintaining public trust,” officials said in a statement released by Ian Ott, the city’s director of communications. “Consistent with department policy, the department does not comment on the details of active investigations. The Buffalo Police Department is conducting a comprehensive internal investigation to determine whether departmental policies, procedures and professional standards were followed by personnel involved in this matter.”

According to a timeline released by the department, the captain met with Woods at 7:52pm Saturday at the D-District station house—more than three hours after Buffalo police were initially contacted by the victim’s mother. She had reportedly asked police for help reaching Woods because she did not have his phone number.

The timeline states the captain contacted Lewiston Police while Woods was present and confirmed that he had the couple’s two children with him at the time.

Woods left the station shortly after a shift change at 8:05pm, according to the department’s account. The captain then notified the E-District that Woods had arrived at the station with the children and that they were leaving together.

Just after midnight Sunday, Lewiston Police returned to the Buffalo Street residence in Sanborn, where 35-year-old Alexis Skoczylas was found dead during a welfare check. Authorities later classified her death as a homicide and identified Woods as a person of interest.

Approximately three hours later, around 3am, Woods was detained by Amherst and Cheektowaga Police.

The department’s timeline notes that the captain who met with Woods was relieved from duty at 3am Sunday. She was formally suspended with pay pending the outcome of the Internal Affairs investigation.

Woods, who has been charged with second-degree murder, has been suspended without pay.

The homicide case remains under investigation by the New York State Attorney General’s Office, which is handling the prosecution because Woods is a law enforcement officer.

Buffalo officials have not indicated whether the captain who met with Woods was aware of any active homicide investigation at the time of the Saturday evening discussion. The internal review will examine whether department policies or professional standards were violated.

No further details have been released.

Promotional Content

Female Buffalo Police Captain Suspended After Meeting with Officer who Killed Wife in Niagara County