Police Say Shooting Of Man Could Be Ruled Self-Defense

A Tacoma man was fatally shot during an argument, but the shooting may be justifiable as self-defense, police said.

Gino L. Franks, 36, died Saturday of multiple gunshot wounds at a home in the city’s Hilltop neighborhood, police spokesman Jim Mattheis said.

No arrests were made.

The trouble began just after midnight when Franks, one of a small crowd of people at the home, threatened the man who would eventually shoot him, Mattheis said.

“He displayed a bullet, then turned his back to the shooter and pretended to put it in a gun,” he said.

In fact, Franks had no gun. But he turned around with his hand in his pocket, like a robber with a hidden weapon and threatened to kill the other man, Mattheis said.