Frazier Homes neighbors question whether shooting could have been avoided after three officers open fire on suspect

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Neighbors and state investigators are seeking answers after three Savannah Police Department officers opened fire on a suspect at Frazier Homes on Saturday.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said a 911 caller reported a woman was being chased from an apartment by a man identified as Malik Hendrix. Witnesses also reported that a child had been thrown into a dumpster. The GBI said the woman was later reunited with her child after the child was evaluated and treated.

Shaneen Bryant, a Frazier Homes resident, said she was inside her home cleaning and listening to music when officers responded to reports of a domestic dispute Saturday afternoon.

“We see police just pulling up. It was like nine cars. So we was like, dang, what is going on?” Bryant said.

Bryant said after several patrol cars left the scene, only a few officers remained. She said she then heard a voice calling for help, followed by gunfire.

“Then like half of the police, like I said, it was nine cars out here. It was three that was left ... we hear, help me, help me. And then, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom,” Bryant said.

According to the GBI, three Savannah police officers opened fire on Hendrix after he did not comply with orders to show his hands and pointed an object at officers. That object was later determined to be a cell phone. Three officers shot Hendrix multiple times.

Bryant said she did not hear officers issue a warning before firing. She is calling for greater accountability in officer use-of-force incidents.

The GBI said the investigation remains active and ongoing.