A Bay Minette man died Thursday, roughly a week after being shot multiple times during a confrontation with a Baldwin County sheriff’s deputy responding to a disturbance call, according to officials with the sheriff’s office.
The man, identified as 54-year-old Gilbert Fleury, died at a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, where he had been transported following the March 11 shooting. The Baldwin County Major Crimes Unit, which investigates officer-involved shootings in the county, said detectives were coordinating with Florida law enforcement and planned to be present for the autopsy.
In a statement released after Fleury’s death, investigators extended condolences to his family. The sheriff’s office said the investigation into the shooting remains active and asked anyone with information about the events leading up to the confrontation to contact investigators with either the Robertsdale Police Department or the Daphne Police Department, both of which are assisting with the outside review common in officer-involved shooting cases.
According to Baldwin County Sheriff Huey Hoss Mack, the incident began late on the night of March 11 when deputies responded to a report of a disorderly man who appeared to be damaging his own home in the Cliff’s Landing area near Bay Minette. A neighbor had also reported hearing what sounded like gunfire in the area before deputies arrived.
Sheriff Mack said that when deputies attempted to make contact with Fleury, he pointed a shotgun at one of the responding officers and is believed to have fired at least one round. A deputy returned fire, striking Fleury multiple times. Three deputies were identified as having responded to the scene, though authorities have not specified which deputy or deputies discharged their weapons.
Officer-involved shooting investigations in Baldwin County typically involve a multi-agency review process, with detectives from outside departments brought in to conduct an independent examination of the circumstances surrounding the use of force. That process was already underway in the days following the shooting and is expected to continue now that Fleury has died from his injuries.
The case remains under investigation, and no additional details about the deputies involved or the ultimate findings of the Major Crimes Unit’s review have been released publicly. Sheriff’s office officials say updates will be provided as the investigation progresses and appropriate authorities complete their review of the incident.