Published: June 24, 2009 11:10 pm      

LOCKPORT: Shooting suspect at large

Lockport police have released more information about a shooting on Ashley Place Sunday night.

A suspect is still at large, and a reward may be available for information leading to his arrest.

Officers responded to a call of shots fired at Ashley Place and Locust Street about 9 p.m. When they arrived, they found the victim, 40-year-old Thomas Todd, in front of his apartment building, 131 Locust St.

Todd had been shot in the left foot and left thigh.

He was transported by the Lockport Fire Department to Eastern Niagara Hospital-Lockport, then to Erie County Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

Lockport Police Detective Capt. Richard Podgers said Todd told detectives he had been walking home from the Spalding Street area earlier that night.

Along the way, Todd, who was intoxicated, walked past a group of black males, according to reports.

“He had some type of verbal altercation with them,” Podgers said. “He tells them where he lives ... and that he would be in the driveway waiting for them.”

Todd then went home and stood in his driveway, armed with a golf club he got from inside the house, Podgers said.

As he was waiting in the driveway, two men — presumably the same he had spoken with before — walked by.

“He starts yelling at them, apparently racial slurs,” Podgers said. “They start going back and forth, and he kind of follows them a bit on Ashley (Place) with his golf club.”

One of the men reportedly threatened to shoot Todd, and Podgers said Todd responded with something like, “Shoot me, man. Come on.”

“So the guy reaches in, pulls out his gun and shoots him,” Podgers said.

The victim was hit twice. According to witnesses, the gun apparently jammed after the two shots were fired. As the shooter was trying to un-jam the gun, a witness grabbed a shovel from the back of a nearby pickup and ran toward the shooter.

The shooter was able to clear the gun, and fired several more shots behind his back as he and the second suspect were running away. None of these shots hit Todd or passers-by.

The witness threw the shovel at the fleeing suspects, striking the second suspect and causing him to fall.

The second suspect, reportedly known on the street as “T-Man,” was able to get up and run away, but his cell phone fell out of his pocket, Podgers said.

Another witness on the scene identified “T-Man” and told police his full name. Police say they are not releasing his name because he has not been charged.

In the next several hours, police conducted a search through the area, using K-9 units and calling for help from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department.

About midnight, a patrol car was headed up Washburn Street when they saw a group of people standing in front of a house.

“They hear a guy yell, ‘T-Man, run! Run, T-Man!’ ” Podgers said. “We knew his street name was T-Man. ... so now they knew T-Man was there.”

T-Man reportedly ran from the scene, but officers pursued him and caught him nearby.

Podgers said the man was interviewed and said he did not know anything about the shooting, though both witnesses and the dropped cell phone have placed him at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing.

Officers searched the area the following morning, looking for the weapon or other evidence. The weapon was not found, but several spent shells were found in the middle of Ashley Place.

Podgers said the gun was a small-caliber, semi-automatic pistol.

The shooter is described as a dark-skinned black male, of medium build, about 5’8’’ to 5’11’’ tall, wearing dark pants, a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and a black-and-white bandana around his face.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the Lockport Police Department at 433-7700.

Podgers said a reward is available for information that leads to the suspect’s arrest.

Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.