On a summer afternoon in Buffalo, New York, a dispute escalated to a fatal conclusion. On July 20, 2021, 40-year-old Jason Johnson was involved in a confrontation on Broadway near Bennett Street around 1:00 p.m. During the altercation, he was shot. In an attempt to flee the scene, Johnson got into his vehicle and tried to drive away but crashed nearby.
He was transported to Erie County Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation led by the Buffalo Police Department's Homicide Squad identified an off-duty Buffalo firefighter, Blake M. Banks, who was 24 years old at the time, as the individual responsible for the shooting. Banks was subsequently arrested and indicted on a charge of Murder in the Second Degree. He was held without bail as the legal proceedings began.
Ultimately, Blake M. Banks pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of Manslaughter in the First Degree, a class B violent felony. On June 23, 2022, the former firefighter was sentenced for the death of Jason Johnson. He received a prison sentence of 23 years, which will be followed by five years of post-release supervision.
