Buffalo Police Officer Arrested and Charged With Murder

Law enforcement officers from several police departments in Western New York were quite busy in the late afternoon hours on Saturday, February 14, 2026, after a wellness check turned into a homicide investigation in Niagara County.

According to multiple reports from the Lewiston Police and Buffalo Police, along withe Niagara County Sherifs Office, Niagara Falls Police Department, Niagara County District Attorney, even the Cheektowaga Police Department, a 35-year-old woman who lived in Sanborn, New York, was found dead inside a home on Buffalo Street in Sanborn, and a 53-year-old man was arrested and charged with Second Degree Murder and is being held at the Niagara County Jail.

Lance Woods, an active Buffalo Police School Resource Officer who was off-duty, was tracked, arrested, and charged with Murder in connection with the death of Alexis Skoczylas.

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According to a report in the Buffalo News, Woods and Skoczylas, with two children and an argument, is what led Woods to shoot Skoczylas in the head. Initial reports say the argument stemmed from Skoczylas desire to divorce Woods.

It's unclear as to how long the argument has been going on, or if Woods is accused of using a Buffalo Police issued firearm or a personally owned firearm. According to Niagara County Court and Public Records, Skoczylas filed for divorce in September 2025. As of late Sunday, no additional details have been released by the police organizations that have been involved in the investigation.

As with any shooting or death that is related to a law enforcement officer in the Empire State, the investigation into this matter will be led by the New York State Attorney General’s Office Special Investigations, a requirement that has been in effect since 2021.

Pursuant to New York Executive Law Section 70-b, the Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person, by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed.
-Letitia James, New York State Attorney General

Domestic Violence Is A Problem With Law Enforcement Officers

According to a study by the National Domestic Violence Hotline, it's estimated that as many of 40% of law enforcement families, spouses, and/or significant others experience domestic violence. Additionally, studies from the University of South Florida, the Oregon State Legislature, and Cambridge University show that officers tend to commit domestic violence at much higher rates than the general public, while receiving exceedingly light discipline.