Law enforcement agencies are gathered in an area near Green Ridge and Open Gate Trail in Green Bay, February 23, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Green Bay Police Chief Chris Davis says the department will be conducting an administrative review on an exchange of gunfire on Green Bay’s west side.
Officer Dan Skenandore returned fire at Steve Ventura on Feb. 23. Ventura later turned the gun on himself and died.
On Wednesday, Brown County District Attorney David Lasee ruled Skenandore was justified in shooting at Ventura and will not face criminal charges.
Video released by the Wisconsin Department of Justice shows Skenandore shooting through the windows of his squad vehicle at Ventura after Ventura fired at the squad vehicle.
Davis says the video shows another example of the dangerous situations law enforcement has to put themselves in to protect the public.
“Our police officers go out everyday and have to put themselves between that danger and our community and that’s one of the things that really stands out to me. It really looks like Officer Skenandore was faced with a really difficult, extremely dangerous situation with almost no time to react and performed really well under very difficult circumstances,” Davis said. “As a general rule, when you find yourself in that kind of threat, there is no textbook. We obviously teach to a very high standard but one of the things about police training is that we’re able to provide training in a very sterile environment but we are not able to at all predict all of the details of the situation that officers might find themselves in.”
Officer Skenandore released a statement that Chief Davis read during the news conference:
I have chosen this profession to help people during some of the most difficult times of their lives. I do this knowing there can be dangerous situations. This traumatic event has greatly impacted my family and me. I appreciate the continued support that I have been receiving from my community.
Davis says during the administrative review, they will be looking at policy compliance and anything else the department can learn from the situation.
Comments