City Grill mass shooting victim talks about life after facing death
Tillman Ward, 27, one of the men gunned down in the City Grill mass shooting describes his life following the massacre. YNN’s Nicki Mayo has his story.
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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- “It’s been hard for me. Hard for me to sleep at night. I can’t move my arm like I used to,” said Tillman Ward Tuesday outside the Erie County Court Building.
Ward has spent the last two weeks in pain. The 27-year-old cupped his left bicep and rubbed his elbow. Monday, he had 75 staples removed from the arm now covered in scar tissue and 11 bandages.
“I got shot twice in my back and one [bullet] went through and shattered my elbow,” Ward said.
Tillman is one of eight people shot during the City Grill mass shooting August 14th on Main Street near Swan.
“It was just chaos. A fight opened out in the parking lot and guys just got to shooting,” said Ward holding his wounded arm and shoulder.
A gunman opened fire on the crowd killing four and injuring four others. It’s a sight Tillman will never forget.
“There was just panicking. My whole body was numb I couldn’t move, he said. “Seeing everybody laid out on the ground and people crying, it was definitely a scary moment,” Tillman added.
Another scary night came Monday, that’s when Ward says BPD officers assaulted his family in the Perry Street Project Housing Units.
“The cops beat my 13 year old brother with a flashlight. I’m arguing with them and they ripped my sling off and manhandled me,” said Ward.
YNN contacted Buffalo Police regarding the alleged incident. The department has not released a comment on the Monday night incident.
Buffalo Police detectives say there were hundreds of people outside along Main St. the night of the City Grill shooting. Investigators want witnesses to come forward. But some community leaders say it’s hard for people to go to the police when they don’t trust cops.
“They want you to work with them on one hand, and then they want to arrest you and prosecute you on the other hand,” said East Side Redevelopment Task Force president Darnell Jackson. “If they do this to me as a community leader, what do you thing regular people think about helping,” he added.
Tillman Ward says it’s time for the community to help stop the violence.
“The community needs a lot of help and people need to start stepping up,” said Ward.