Last week, an Arkansas medical examiner ruled that Chavis Carter, the 21-year-old man killed by a gunshot wound to the head while handcuffed in the back of a police car, committed suicide.
According to the report by Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Stephen A. Erickson of the Arkansas State Crime Lab, the bullet that killed Carter entered his skull near his right temple, four inches from the top of his head.
Initially, friends and family members of Carter claimed that Carter was not suicidal and questioned whether it would have been physically possible to retrieve a concealed weapon and shoot himself in the head while handcuffed and seated. Those close to Carter also found it impossible that he could have shot himself in the right temple since he was left-handed.
The autopsy report released last Monday included a drug analysis showing Carter had not been drinking the night of the July 28 shooting. The report does say that Carter’s blood tested positive for the anti-anxiety medication diazepam and the painkiller oxycodone. His urine test also returned a positive result for marijuana.
As reported by CBS News, Dr. Stephen Erickson spoke with Crimesider last Tuesday and said that he concluded Carter’s death was the result of suicide after examining his body as well as the investigative files from the Jonesboro Police Department. Those files include the police investigative reports and viewed a video released to the public last week, which depicts officers attempting to recreate how Carter allegedly retrieved a Cobra .380 handgun from somewhere on his person and shot himself.
Check out the Jonesboro PD video below:
What do you think about the autopsy results and the video released by Jonesboro PD?