An eyewitness to a police action shooting claimed the victim was innocent

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A witness to a police officer shooting and killing a man outside a Fort Wayne bar early Saturday has questioned the details released about the incident.

According to the Fort Wayne Police Department, Joshua Franciscy was the officer who fatally shot Antron L. Pearson , 31, of Fort Wayne; outside Broadway Joe’s in the 2500 block of Broadway. Police were called to the tavern around 1:18 a.m. on a report of shots fired.

Police Chief Rusty York said the early investigation appeared to confirm that Franciscy did what was appropriate according to training when Pearson refused to drop a weapon when asked.

"Deadly force is justified only when that officer fears for his or her own safety or someone's," York said.  “This individual was armed. The firearm we got from the scene was loaded and [Pearson] did have the encounter with the officer."

An eyewitness to the exchange disagreed with York.

Ashley Hunkins was standing outside the entrance to Broadway Joe’s when she claimed to have seen Officer Franciscy walk from across the street with a gun draw.

Hunkins said she heard the officer yell “stop” before shots were fired and did not recall any other exchange with the victim whom she knew as a fellow regular of Broadway Joe’s.

“Nobody ever [knew] him to have a gun, he’s not that type of guy. Nobody knew anything about a gun at all that night, it’s just insane,” Hunkins said.

Police interviewed Hunkins and several other witnesses following the incident.

“There’s always misinformation that comes out and that’s our job to get down to the facts,” York said.

The shooting remains under investigation. The Indiana State Police were involved as an independent agency.