FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) - Fort Wayne Police Officer Joshua Fransiscy may not have had a gun pointed at him, but Police Chief Rusty York says he was following his training when he fatally shot a man last November.
Prosecutors won't be filing charges against Fransiscy, who fatally shot 31-year-old Antron Pearson outside of Broadway Joe's Tavern. Police say Pearson refused to put down the pistol he was holding, took a step backwards, and moved his hand before Fransiscy opened fire.
Chief York says officers go through 20 weeks of training when they join the force. They also go through 24 hours (or three days) of additional training every year, including firearms training.
He says officers face life-like scenarios involving armed suspects during that training. Air soft pistols are also used to make the experience more realistic.
Chief York says officers are also trained on interactive computer programs where they have to decide whether or not to fire their weapons.
"We've improved our techniques. We've learned so much over the years that the training is so much better today than it was 30 years ago. They're better prepared and they, quite frankly, have to be. It's a lot more dangerous environment out there than it ever was in the past."
The number of police actions shootings are on the rise across the country, says Chief York. It's a trend he attributes to the number of guns falling into the hands of dangerous people.
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