Autopsy Results for Teen Shot Dead in Ferguson
August 18, 2014
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon ordered the National Guard into Ferguson, Missouri, early Monday morning, as street protests over the shooting death of unarmed African American teenager Michael Brown continued. Brown was killed by a white Ferguson police officer on August 9 while walking home with a friend from a convenience store. Although some people were still protesting peacefully, Sunday evening was the most violent Ferguson had seen since Brown’s shooting, and police resorted to tear gas, rubber bullets, and smoke grenades to disperse crowds.
Also on Monday, attorneys for the Brown family released the results of a private autopsy performed on Brown’s body, which showed that he was shot at least six times. According to the Ferguson chief of police, the officer who shot Brown was assaulted by the teenager, who had tried to grab the officer’s gun. The friend walking with Brown disputes that account, insisting that Brown’s hands were raised when he was shot. The official results of an autopsy by officials from St. Louis County, which includes Ferguson, have not yet been released. According to unofficial reports, that autopsy also found that Brown had been shot six times.
The private autopsy was performed by former New York medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden at the request of Brown’s family. Dr. Baden determined that all of the bullets were fired into Brown as he was facing the officer involved, Darren Wilson. Four of the shots struck Brown in the arm and two in the head. One of the bullets entered the top of Brown’s head, suggesting he was bent forward when it struck. It was this bullet that caused the fatal injury, according to Dr. Baden.
Dr. Baden stated that his findings did not allow him to determine how events unfolded in the shooting, saying, “We need more information; for example, the police should be examining the automobile to see if there is gunshot residue in the police car.” Dr. Baden did not have access to the victim’s clothing for testing, but he stated there was no gunpowder residue on the victim’s body; such residue would be expected when a gun is fired at close range.
In a somewhat unusual development, the U.S. Department of Justice ordered a third autopsy to be performed on Brown’s body. The head of the Department of Justice, Attorney General Eric Holder, issued a statement, saying, “In addition to the local investigation already underway, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents from the St. Louis field office, working together with attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and US Attorney’s Office, have opened a concurrent, federal inquiry. The federal investigation will supplement, rather than supplant, the inquiry by local authorities. . . . Aggressively pursuing investigations such as this is critical for preserving trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
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