Man shot by police; answered door with gun
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Authorities report a Fort Wayne police officer investigating a report of a disturbance fatally shot a man who answered the front door armed with a handgun.
Police said one police officer fired at the man, whose identity has not been released. The shooting took place on Saturday night.
The Indiana State Police, the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, the Allen County Coroner’s Office and FWPD Internal Affairs are assisting in the investigation.
“It’s very in depth. We want to make sure that it’s a very complete and thorough investigation. So, it will take a while,” FWPD spokesman Officer John Chambers said.
Chambers said the man was shot after he refused to put down the gun as ordered by police officers.
He said paramedics were called, but the man died at the scene.
FWPD Police Chief Garry Hamilton said the main focus of the investigation is being as clear as possible and taking into account every possible detail of the incident.
“It’s not an incident we will sweep under the cobwebs. We want to be transparent as to our officers that are involved in the shooting. We’ve been doing this for years. This is before the Fergusons, before the Clevelands, before the Baltimore incidents. It’s something that we have done routinely and will continue to do so that we have a thorough investigation and we can pass it on to any federal agency if they wish to review the case, be it the FBI, to review the case and make sure that we are on board and we get everything correct,” Chief Hamilton said.
Chief Hamilton also said the protocol stays the same regardless of the type of shooting.
“Our sympathies go out to the family of the victim. We have to be professional in how we handle the situation. In the back of your mind, it does bother you, but you have a job to do and I expect my officers to be professional at all times and we’ll review everything,” Chief Hamilton said.
Animal Care and Control was also at the scene. Neighbors said that four dogs were taken out of the home where the shooting happened.