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Police Officer In South Bend Shooting Case Resigns

Police Officer In South Bend Shooting Case Resigns
Courtesy South Bend Police Department
Police Officer In South Bend Shooting Case Resigns

Monday afternoon, the South Bend Fraternal Order of Police announced the resignation of the white South Bend police officer who shot and killed a black man a month ago. 

In a statement, FOP local president Harvey Mills wrote that the stress of a pending lawsuit, national media attention, and social media have been difficult for Sgt. Ryan O’Neill and his family.

“These fights are just too much for Sgt. O’Neill and his family to undertake right now,” Mills concluded.

South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski confirmed that O’Neill has resigned "effective immediately." 

Activists who had called for O’Neill to leave the force welcomed the news saying it was an important step in the healing of the South Bend community.

Justin Hicks is a workforce reporter for IPB News based at WVPE in Elkhart. He comes to Indiana by way of New York. He has a master's degree from the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University and earned a Bachelor of Music Degree from Appalachian State University where he played trumpet. He first learned about Elkhart, Indiana, because of the stamp on his brass instrument indicating where it was produced. Justin was born and raised in Mt. Olive, North Carolina. He currently lives in South Bend with his dog, Charlotte.
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