Akeem Wagstaff

A neighborhood dispute over dogs turned deadly on a Sunday afternoon in Rochester, New York, claiming the life of Akeem Wagstaff, a 32-year-old Black man. The fatal encounter began around 12:30 p.m. on June 23, 2024, when a relative of Wagstaff was walking their dog on Michigan Street. A loose dog ran from a porch and attacked their pet, leading to a verbal argument between Wagstaff's relative and the other dog's owner, Bradford Clark Jr.

After the argument, Wagstaff's relative returned home. A few minutes later, Clark allegedly walked over to Wagstaff's house, where another altercation began. During this confrontation, Clark shot Wagstaff once in the upper body. When police arrived, they found Wagstaff lying in his driveway with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to Strong Hospital but died from his injuries several hours later. Investigators noted that Wagstaff and Clark did not know each other prior to the incident.

The Rochester Police Department quickly identified Clark, then 35, as the suspect. He was located and taken into custody on Cottage Street shortly after the shooting. During their investigation, officers searched homes on both Michigan and Cottage streets, where they found three handguns. At the time of his arrest, Clark was on parole for an assault conviction connected to a fatal shooting in 2014 and was legally prohibited from possessing a handgun.

Following his arrest, Clark was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. The case proceeded to a jury trial. In April 2025, the jury found Bradford Clark Jr., then 36, not guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Akeem Wagstaff. He was, however, convicted on two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.