Three Savannah police officers shot a 23-year-old man Saturday afternoon after he allegedly pulled an object from his jacket and pointed it at them while they were investigating a domestic dispute at the Frazier Homes complex. Witnesses told investigators a child had been thrown into a dumpster during the altercation, but the child had been reunited with the mother by the time officers arrived. The man, identified by authorities as Malik Hendrix, was struck multiple times and taken to a local hospital. No officers were reported injured.
GBI Lays Out The Timeline
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Savannah police were dispatched to an apartment on Emerald Drive at about 2:45 p.m. on Feb. 21 after a 911 caller reported a woman was being chased. Investigators say officers located the victim, who confirmed Hendrix’s identity and provided a photo, and that the child was taken by EMS to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment. The GBI’s preliminary statement says Hendrix later approached officers, kept his right hand concealed inside his jacket, ignored commands to show his hands, then produced an object and pointed it at officers. Three officers fired, a K9 unit was released and Hendrix was given medical aid until EMS arrived.
Heavy Police Presence And City Leaders On Scene
Local outlets on the scene described a heavy police response at the Frazier Homes complex and reported that Mayor Van Johnson and Savannah Police Chief Lenny Gunther were present. WTOC reported officers had secured the 600 block of Emerald Drive and that multiple Savannah and Chatham County units were on site. FOX 5 Atlanta reviewed the GBI release and identified the suspect as Malik Hendrix while noting investigators have not publicly released the officers’ names or Hendrix’s condition.
Investigation And What Comes Next
The GBI says it is leading an active investigation and will turn the case file over to the Eastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review once the probe is complete. It remains unclear what, if any, charges Hendrix will face, and the officers involved have not been publicly identified, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
