Decatur Police confirm gun pulled during officer-involved shooting was a BB gun
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — Decatur Police Chief Shane Brandel confirmed that the man killed in an officer-involved shooting had a replica BB gun, not a real gun at the time of the shooting.
When Brandel first addressed reporters following the shooting Monday evening, he said that 38-year-old Rocky Dupin had “what certainly appeared to be and appears to be a firearm.”
Two Decatur police officers approached Dupin and two others with their guns drawn on Monday. Brandel said Dupin matched the description of a suspect wanted for an armed robbery at the Decatur Discount. Video evidence showed that the suspect had what authorities believed to be a real gun.
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According to Brandel, Dupin initially complied with the officers and got down on the ground, but then he stood up, and pulled out the BB gun.
“At that point, the officers engaged the suspect both officers firing several rounds, striking the suspect. The suspect went down at that point, and the officers secured the suspect until the ambulance arrived,” Brandel said at the Monday press conference. “At that point the suspect was taken to (Decatur Memorial Hospital) and was immediately taken into surgery.”
Dupin died at the hospital.
The Illinois State Police took over the investigation, which is ongoing. Both officers are now on administrative duties.
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