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Kevin Riford
Reporting the Assault to Federal and State Officials
On March 16, 2026, I was walking along a side-street sidewalk in the City of Buffalo, New York, when a black Mazda suddenly turned down the road and abruptly cut me off, blocking my path forward. A Black male stepped out of the vehicle. I froze, unsure of what he was about to do. Without warning, he charged toward me, grabbed me by the neck, and slammed me against a parked car a few feet behind me.
The man accused me of taking a photo of his vehicle and demanded that I unlock my phone and delete the picture. Shocked and terrified, I complied. I unlocked my phone and showed him my photo gallery, proving there was no photo of his car.
Massachusetts Plate Number: 5FVN52, MA Vehicle Inspection Report – AVIS RENT A CAR
While he held me in a chokehold, a woman inside a nearby shop stared in disbelief as she witnessed the assault unfold just outside the storefront. Our eyes locked, and I began screaming for help. After realizing there was no photo on my phone, the man released me, returned to his vehicle, and sped away. Once he left, I managed to take a photograph of his vehicle and license plate.
The following day, I called the shop in front of which the assault had occurred and asked the employee whether she had been working there the previous afternoon. She confirmed that she had. Below is a partial audio recording of that conversation.
Reporting the Assault to Federal and State Officials
Following the assault, I contacted the FBI by phone and explained the incident in detail. Because the individual involved identified himself as being connected to ICE — a federal agency — I believed the FBI was the appropriate authority to handle the matter.
As of the date of writing this article, May 20, 2026, the FBI has made no attempt to contact me or conduct any follow-up interview regarding the assault. That FBI report audio is below.
I also reported the incident to New York Governor Kathy Hochul. As the governor of the state in which I reside, I hoped that either she or a member of her staff would look further into the matter. However, as of May 20, 2026, I have received no correspondence from her office aside from an automated email confirming receipt of my message.
In addition, I reached out to Tim Kennedy, the U.S. Congressman representing my district. Unfortunately, his office was entirely unhelpful, at one point asking me, “What would you like us to do?”
Lastly, I filed a detailed report with the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James outlining the incident and the surrounding circumstances. As of May 20, 2026, I have not received any response from the Attorney General’s office. https://ag.ny.gov/federal-actions-form
For agencies and officials who frequently speak about protecting New Yorkers and defending civil rights, the silence has been deeply disappointing and concerning.
Living in Fear After the Incident
Since the assault, I have been left with a lingering sense of fear. Being physically attacked in broad daylight by a man who claimed some form of federal authority was enough on its own. What has made the experience even more disturbing is the complete lack of meaningful follow-up or assistance afterward.
I reported the incident to multiple agencies and elected officials because I genuinely believed someone would take the matter seriously, investigate what happened, or at the very least contact me for additional information. Instead, I have been met largely with silence, indifference, or dismissive responses.
As time passes without answers, accountability, or even basic communication from the authorities I contacted, I have been left feeling vulnerable by our own government. The fact that an individual was willing to violently confront me in public over something that never even occurred — and then simply drive away without consequence — has made it difficult to feel safe, especially since I have already been labeled as a “domestic terrorist” by Ex-Erie County Central Police Services Peter M. Vito who was nominated to be U.S. Marshal by Donald Trump. You can view video of me being labeled a domestic terrorist here.