Saucier man shot by Gulfport police had multiple gunshot wounds, autopsy shows
A Saucier man shot to death by Gulfport police suffered “multiple gunshot” wounds to the chest and neck area, Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer said Monday.
An autopsy performed at the state Crime Lab in Jackson in the aftermath of the fatal shooting Thursday determined Henry Frankowski III, 49, died of multiple gunshot wounds to the body, Switzer said. He said the death has been ruled a homicide.
Gulfport police said police officers came into contact with Frankowski after responding to a report that afternoon of someone abusing a dog.
When police got to the address outside the Dollar Tree on Pass Road and U.S. 49, they said Frankowski was acting “irate” and had a weapon on him.
Gulfport police officers shot and killed Frankowski after he reportedly pointed a firearm in their direction, according to an initial report.
Frankowski, who was believed to be homeless at the time of his death, died after he underwent surgery for his wounds at a South Mississippi hospital.
The Sun Herald filed records requests with Gulfport police and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation to get a copy of an initial incident report on the events leading up to the shooting.
Gulfport police said they could not release any information, including what type of firearm Frankowski had on him, because the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is doing an independent investigation on the shooting.
In addition, Biloxi police and the Harrison County District Attorney’s Office are assisting in the probe.
The Sun Herald reviewed arrest records and found that Frankowski had had a few minor run-ins with authorities over the years for mostly misdemeanor charges, such as disorderly conduct and traffic violations.
In addition, he had been accused of abusing 911 calls in the past.
As bystanders gathered at the crime scene Thursday, Marquell Bridges, a board member of Black Lives Matter Mississippi, arrived at the Dollar Tree around 3:45 p.m., about an hour after police responded to the scene at 2:51 p.m.
In an interview with the Sun Herald, he said he drove to the location to try to learn about what had happened after he got a call about a police shooting.
When he arrived, large parts of the parking lot were marked off as a crime scene. A black baby stroller that apparently belonged to Frankowski stood in the middle of the lot.
Bridges went live on Facebook from behind the yellow crime scene tape, pointing his camera at the officers investigating the scene and at members of the crowd that had gathered.
Bridges said he believed the shooting showed police brutality affects people of all races.
“The real problem is classism,” he said. When they see him, they didn’t see an upstanding white man.”
At one point, Gulfport Police Chief Chris Ryle spoke to people in the crowd where Bridges was standing.
“Why was shots fired if he was unarmed?” Bridges asked, after a woman at the scene who said she was a friend of Frankowski’s said he didn’t have a gun.
“How do you know he’s unarmed?” Ryle responded.
“The witness, his friend, said he was unarmed,” Bridges said.
“We’re not gonna get into statements, but check your facts,” Ryle said. “Just don’t go off what somebody says. Check your facts, don’t just listen to what people say.”
Ryle walked away and got into a car.
“That’s why I was asking him,” Bridges said to a friend.
This story was originally published November 16, 2020 at 2:41 PM.
