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By Joanna Putman
Police1
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Body camera footage released by the Brown County District Attorney’s office shows the moment a Green Bay Police officer fired shots at a suspect through his cruiser windshield after the suspect pointed a gun at him.
The Feb. 23 incident began when a 911 caller reported that the suspect brandished a gun at them, according to the DA’s written review of the incident. The caller stated they were in fear for their life.
After brandishing a gun, the suspect reportedly got back into his vehicle and drove away. The 911 caller informed dispatchers before following the suspect in their own vehicle. As the caller followed the suspect, they saw a Green Bay Police Department cruiser and signaled to it by flashing their headlights, according to the DA’s report.
Click below to see full video.
Officer Daniel Skenadore, who was driving the cruiser, began to follow the suspect’s vehicle and the caller’s vehicle at a distance. The caller pulled over to the side of the road, allowing Skenadore to continue following the suspect’s vehicle.
Skenadore’s body and dash camera videos show the suspect coming to a stop in the road before getting out of the vehicle. He “began fumbling with something’ in the front of his waistband before pointing a black handgun at Skenadore, still in the vehicle.
Skenadore ducked beneath the dashboard and drew his handgun, firing several shots at the suspect through the cruiser’s windshield. He then drove down the road to a safer location.
After turning the cruiser around to face the suspect, Skenadore could see the suspect standing up with an object in his hands, according to the release. He retrieved his patrol rifle and exited his vehicle.
The officer then fired rifle rounds at the suspect, who retreated into a wooded area. The suspect then shot himself in the head, according to the release.
Investigators determined that the suspect had fired three shots at the scene, according to the release. Skenadore told investigators that the suspect had fired shots at him.
The Brown County District Attorney’s Office ruled that Officer Skenadore was justified in shooting at the suspect, as the situation was “incredibly volatile and dangerous” and escalated quickly when he arrived at the scene.
