LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Last August, Louisville police officers responded to a call of shots fired in the city's Clifton neighborhood. After arriving on the scene, an officer reported that someone was shooting at police.

Officer Robert Cedeno found the suspected shooter, James Monti, in an alley. Body camera appears to show Monti lying on the ground, pointing something at Cedeno.

Cedeno then fired his long rife and killed Monti.

Louisville Metro Police officers haven't always had access to such high-powered firearms, a concern highlighted last April when Officer Nick Wilt responded to a mass shooting downtown armed only with a handgun.

But, in the Clifton shooting, Cedeno used a long rifle he received in the previous few months as part of a roll-out by LMPD, which used to make officers buy the weapons themselves if they wanted them.

The shooting represents a change from how LMPD has armed its officers to deal with more dangerous situations given the proliferation of assault rifles among citizens.

Over the last year, LMPD has provided more than 500 long rifles to officers at no cost and will hand out about 200 more this year, Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said in a recent interview. Officers who are first responders have been prioritized in getting the weapons first.

Officers also must complete 40 hours of rifle training and have their weapon approved by the department based on several guidelines.

"This is an ugly part of policing that sometimes we are going to be involved in shootings," Humphrey said. "We need to make sure that officers have the tools that are most effective in protecting themselves and the community. And, in the environment we are in, that requires officers to have long guns.”

Connor Sturgeon, a 25-year-old employee of Old National Bank, was armed with an AR-15 when he opened fire on coworkers downtown on April 10, 2023. He killed five people and wounded several more — and sprayed bullets at Wilt and his partner as they approached.

Wilt was struck in the head and rushed to UofL Hospital for brain surgery. He was in critical condition for weeks.

At that time, Louisville police faced more hurdles to get a long rifle for on-the-job use than Sturgeon, who legally bought his weapon four days earlier in a short transaction at a local gun dealer.

Upon arriving at the scene on East Main Street near Louisville Slugger Field, Wilt's partner, Officer Cory Galloway, grabbed his personally-owned long rifle out of the cruiser. Galloway ultimately used it to shoot and kill Sturgeon.

Under the prior police policy, Wilt wasn't given a long rifle by the department when he started. Instead, officers had to buy the weapon themselves — which could be costly for a young officer, with the guns generally selling for more than $1,000.

Until recent years, officers also had to buy their own handguns. 

The decision to provide long guns and handguns to officers, at a cost of around $1 million, was made by former Chief Erika Shields prior to the Old National Bank shooting even though the department hadn't begun to distribute them. In October 2022, LMPD stopped requiring officers to buy their own handguns.

It is still voluntary for officers to carry a long rifle, but most are opting to take the weapon, Humphrey said.

Long guns are more accurate, especially from a distance, have more ammunition and make it less likely a shooter will have an advantage in weaponry, Humphrey said.

In addition to providing long guns, LMPD has acquired body armor for officers that can stop rifle rounds, unlike the previous armor officers wore. The department is also getting "active shooter kits" that can be deployed by officers to breach doors where a shooter may be using as cover.

"It’s a continuous process to make sure that officers have everything they need in these situations," Humphrey said.

He said the new weapons and other improvements serve as a recruiting tool for LMPD, which has had trouble retaining and keeping officers in recent years.

"It means a lot to say that you can come work for us and you are going to get everything you need to do your job safely and effectively," Humphrey said. "We want to make sure that everybody who is capable and willing to do this job to serve the public has no cost of entry into doing that. Public service shouldn't be something you have to pay to enter into."

It is unclear exactly why Wilt didn’t have a long rifle. He had completed the training. But he had just graduated from the academy March 31, 2023, and was on his fourth shift on the morning of the bank shooting.

After initially being in critical condition, Wilt was released from Frazier Rehabilitation last July. His family has said that he "continues to show process in his recovery," engaging in conversation and walking with a cane.

Both Wilt and Galloway were praised for immediately running to confront the shooter, even as bullets rained down on them and they couldn’t immediately see the shooter because of mirrored windows on the building.

In all, 13 people were killed or injured in the Old National Bank shooting.

An internal investigation of the Clifton shooting is ongoing, although prosecutors have said no charges will be filed against the officer.

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