On the evening of July 5, 2021, a road rage incident in Troy, Michigan, tragically escalated, resulting in the death of 55-year-old Detroit Fire Department Lieutenant Francis 'Frank' Dombrowski. A veteran of 29 years with the department, Dombrowski was driving his car when he became involved in a dispute with the occupants of a white Jeep Cherokee.
The altercation, which reportedly began on Rochester Road, culminated in both vehicles pulling into a Shell gas station at the corner of Rochester and East Wattles roads.
At the gas station, the verbal argument continued and intensified. Dombrowski and a passenger from the Jeep, later identified as Terell Josey, exited their vehicles and confronted each other in the parking lot. During this confrontation, Josey produced a handgun and shot Dombrowski multiple times. Emergency services were called to the scene, and Dombrowski was transported to a nearby hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. He was a married man, survived by his wife and five siblings.
In the early hours of the following morning, Terell Josey and the female driver of the Jeep turned themselves in to the Troy Police Department. Josey, who was 27 at the time, was taken into custody as the suspected shooter. He was subsequently charged with open murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and carrying a concealed weapon.
During legal proceedings, further details of the incident emerged. It was reported that the road rage incident began after Dombrowski allegedly ran a red light, nearly causing a collision with the Jeep, which was occupied by Josey, his then-fiancée, and their young child. The situation escalated with mutual yelling and offensive gestures. Surveillance footage from the gas station showed Dombrowski getting out of his car and approaching Josey before the fatal shots were fired. A toxicology report later revealed that Dombrowski had a blood-alcohol level of. 22 at the time of the incident.
In August 2022, a jury found Terell Josey not guilty of murder but convicted him of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, as well as the firearm charges. However, in April 2025, an appellate court granted Josey the right to a new trial, agreeing with his argument that the trial court had erred by not properly instructing the jury on the issue of self-defense in relation to a voluntary manslaughter charge.
