Three Falls men indicted on charges stemming from Town of Niagara home invasion burglary and shooting

Mar. 29—LOCKPORT — Three Falls men have been indicted by a Niagara County grand jury on assault, burglary and weapons charges for their involvement in a botched break-in and shooting at a Town of Niagara apartment complex.

The grand jury handed up an indictment that charges Cornelius Redden III, 28, Charles Richardson, 24, and Kalique Miller, 18, all of the Falls, each with one count of aggravated assault on a police officer, one count each of first- and second-degree burglary and each with three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. All three pleaded not guilty to the charges and were ordered held without bail pending further proceedings.

They have all been in custody since their arrest on Jan. 18 following a home invasion-style burglary of two units at the Royal Park Apartments in the 8500 block of Porter Road. The incident led to a three-hour lockdown of the apartment complex and a nearby neighborhood.

Miller also faces a Niagara County grand jury indictment that charges him with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the Nov. 10 shooting of a young woman in the Falls. He has pleaded not guilty in that case.

Redden has additional charges of first-degree promoting prison contraband and second-degree harassment stemming from an incident at the Niagara County Jail. He has pleaded not guilty in that case.

Town of Niagara police said they responded to a burglary-in-progress call at 5:12 p.m. on Jan. 18 at the Royal Park Apartments. As one of the responding officers approached the rear of the apartment building, he said he saw a male suspect climbing out of an upper apartment window.

That suspect was initially identified as Richardson.

The officer said the suspect climbed back into the apartment and three shots were fired at him from a "firearm" that had been pointed out of the window. The officer was not hit by the gunfire and said he "retreated and went back to the front of the building," where he and a Town of Niagara police lieutenant "took cover."

Deputies from the Niagara County Sheriff's Office and troopers from the New York State Police also responded to the "shots fired call." Town of Niagara Police Chief Craig Guillani said the officer who had been shot at confronted three male suspects, including Richardson as they came out of the front door of the apartment complex.

Richardson and the other two men, identified as Redden and Miller, were then taken into custody.

Guillani said none of the responding officers, deputies or troopers returned fire at the suspects. But as a result of the gunfire, authorities triggered a shelter in place order for the neighborhood around the apartment complex.

That shelter in place order lasted for over three hours.

Guillani said there was some "initial confusion" over how many suspects may have been in or around the apartment complex, so the Niagara County Sheriff's Emergency Response Team (ERT) was brought in to make sure the there were no suspects left inside the burglarized apartment. ERT deputies entered the apartment and found no additional suspects.

Police then lifted the shelter in place order.

Falls police said they had been searching for Miller since his alleged involvement in a midday shooting Nov. 10 in the 2700 block of Falls Street. The first officers to arrive on that scene reported that they had found a woman inside a home suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to her lower body.

The 21-year-old victim was treated at the scene by Falls firefighters and EMTs before being transported to the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo.

Witnesses said two suspects were seen running from the rear of the house, immediately after the shooting. A Falls officer, responding to the initial shooting call, spotted a male who matched the description of one of the suspected shooters getting into a CRV and driving away from the scene.

Patrol officers chased the Honda from the scene, but found it empty and abandoned near train tracks on 21st Street. Additional officers then reported seeing the suspects entering a black van and driving away.

Falls police were joined in the pursuit of the CRV and the van by Town of Niagara Police, New York State Police, New York State Park Police, U.S. Border Patrol agents and deputies from the Niagara County Sheriff's Office. A U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement helicopter also assisted.

Police located the van behind 2159 Seneca Ave. No one was inside the vehicle, but investigators did detain a man found walking near the van. A K-9 Unit from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also brought in to help in tracking the suspects.

The indictment is believed to charge two additional individuals, besides Miller, in connection with the shooting incident and assisting him in his getaway. The names of the other individuals and the charges they face remain sealed.