Hancock County Coroner Jim Faulk confirmed the chief died at a local hospital.
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A sheriff’s deputy says a MS police chief killed himself soon after learning that authorities were investigating allegations that he illegally sold city-owned firearms.
“It’s just a bad day – a bad day for law enforcement”, Bass said.
It wasn’t clear if the buyer knew the sale was illegal, and Bass said he could not discuss whether the weapon was evidence from a case or had been purchased for the department’s use. Bass says DeNardo went to the parking lot, retrieved a shotgun from his trunk and shot himself.
A federal official also had said investigators received “unsubstantiated criminal intelligence” about DeNardo.
“Due to recent events, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office will be assuming control of management and day-to-day operations of the Bay St. Louis Police Department on a temporary basis until a new chief is selected”, said Councilman Doug Seal.
“We weren’t privy to the investigation at all until Wednesday, when investigators came in with some pretty compelling evidence that something happened outside the city”, Fillingame said. Bay St. Louis Mayor Les Fillingame said the city is fully cooperating with the DeNardo investigation. He could not go into details about what the allegations were.
Immediately after receiving the news, De Nardo turned in his city belongings and walked out to the parking lot, accompanied by two Hancock deputies. (AP) – The small beach community of Bay St. Louis is grappling with the suicide of its police chief.
Retired fire chief Bobby Gavagnie (GAH’-veh-nee) called Chief Mike DeNardo a “fine individual”. Before joining the force in Bay St. Louis, the police officer served 18 years at the St. Tammany Parish Sherrif’s Office in Louisiana, CBS News reported.
“It’s just a bad day – a bad day for law enforcement”, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Don Bass told the Associated Press.
Neither Gavagnie nor Lee said they knew much about why DeNardo was suspended without pay shortly before his death.
An interim replacement for DeNardo has been named but will report to the sheriff’s department.
City administrators told the sheriff’s office that DeNardo had earlier turned in some of his equipment.
Although the department wouldn’t go into details regarding the investigation on DeNardo, Les Fillinggame, mayor of the Mississippi Gulf town, told reporters that the former police chief was “just a tremendous public servant”.
Seal says it’s a temporary situation for a period of “healing for our fellow officers and employees”.
Bay St. Louis Police Chief Mike DeNardo shot himself in the chest Thursday.
On Thursday, hours after DeNardo killed himself, the mayor had said the chief was under investigation by the sheriff’s department. Officials have not said why he was suspended. Adam said in comments aired by WLOX-TV that sheriff’s department staff members were on hand to help escort the chief from the office. He says the shooting appeared to be intentional.
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DeNardo was reportedly standing next to a vehicle when he fired the shot.
