GREEN BAY (NBC26) — A Green Bay police officer is back at work after a shootout in February and an investigation that did not result in him being charged.
- Officer Dan Skenandore and Steve Ventura exchanged fire, according to the Wisconsin DOJ.
- Investigators say Skenadore's actions were justified and didn't contribute to Ventura's death.
- Police Chief Davis says Skenadore has returned to work in an administrative role.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story. Video provided by the DOJ may be disturbing to some viewers.)
A Green Bay Police Officer is back at work after not being charged following a man's death. I'm your Green Bay Neighborhood reporter Andrew Amouzou with why police say his actions were justified.
In video released by the department of justice, gunfire, the DOJ says, from both a man in the street and Officer Dan Skenandore.
The DOJ says Skenandore saw the man, Steve Ventura, pointing a gun, feared for his life and fired.
"It's very important that we share information with the public that we can," Green Bay Police Chief Chris Davis.
On Thursday, Chief Davis commended the officer.
"Officer Skenandore was faced with a really difficult and extremely dangerous situation with almost no time to react and performed pretty well under really difficult circumstances," Davis said.
The shooting happened in late February on the city's west side along open gate trail.
Police say Skenandore was responding to a complaint about a weapon.
The DOJ ruled he was justified in his use of force and it didn't contribute to Ventura's death. Investigators say Ventura took his own life.
"One of the most important things about policing in a democracy is that our community understands what we do and what happened in events like this to maintain that public trust," Davis said.
Chief Davis says officer Skenandore is now back to work, but in an administrative role.
Officer Skenandore released a statement:
"I have chosen this profession to help people during some of the most difficult times of their lives. I do this knowing that there can be dangerous situations. This traumatic event has greatly impacted my family and me. I appreciate the continued support I have been receiving from our community."
Chief Davis said the Green Bay police department is now conducting its own review to see if officer Skenandore followed police policy and if any additional training is necessary.
