University Police officer Robert Duplain returned to work Monday for the first time since he shot and killed Ball State student Michael McKinney while on duty.
Duplain has been reassigned to the detective division of the University Police Department, where he will work out of uniform and investigate crimes that go through that department. Heather Shupp, executive director of University Communications, said the assignment is a lateral move from his position as a patrolman.
Duplain graduated from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy Friday. Scott Mellinger, director of the academy, said he saw no problems with Duplain while he was there.
"If he would have had any problems, I probably would have seen that," Mellinger said.
The academy training included 600 hours of classroom and practical skills training, Mellinger said. Students learn about emergency vehicle operation, firearm proficiency and physical tactics, as well as how to apply the law in real-life situations.
Mellinger said the media attention Duplain received before arriving at the academy did not follow him into the classroom.
"When you have a class with over 100 officers in it, they all have different experiences to share," Mellinger said.
Duplain shot and killed McKinney on the morning of Nov. 8. Police officials say McKinney had been banging on the back door of a house on North Street. Duplain and other officers responded, but Duplain was the only one to reach the backyard, where McKinney was found.
Police reports say McKinney ran at the officer with his arms forward, and wouldn't stop when Duplain asked him to stop. Police officials say Duplain identified himself as a police officer.
At the time of the incident, Duplain had seven months of law-enforcement experience. Although he had received pre-basic training, consisting of 24 hours of classroom instruction, eight hours of firearm training and eight hours of physical defensive tactics, he had not attended the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
Since the incident, Duplain has been on administrative leave. In December, a Delaware County grand jury cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing. In February, though, the McKinney family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit targeting Duplain and University Police Chief Gene Burton.
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