Open Thread: Chavis Carter’s Autopsy Ruled A Suicide

21-year-old Chavis Carter. Courtesy The Grio

By Arturo R. García

The way Monday’s autopsy report for 21-year-old Chavis Carter reads, it’s almost as if the medical examiners on the case don’t quite understand their own findings.

“He was cuffed and placed into a police car, where apparently he produced a weapon,” the report says. “And despite being handcuffed, shot himself in the head,” the report says.

Apparently? How does apparently make its way onto this kind of document?

The autopsy, which surely will not settle the issue, backs up the story police in Jonesboro, Ark., gave after Carter, who was left-handed, was found dead with a gunshot wound to his right temple: that after being searched twice without a weapon being found on him and being handcuffed, that Carter decided to take his own life after being picked up on an outstanding drug warrant last month.

After the story went viral, police had attempted to bolster their case by releasing a bizarre “reenactment” video, followed by dashboard camera footage taken during the traffic stop in question – but the latter only included footage from before and after Carter was found dead.

If anything, I imagine this will only intensify the scrutiny on what happened and how the officers in question couldn’t secure Carter’s safety while in their custody. In the meantime, readers, feel free to share your own thoughts here.