Weather

Flood Warning expires at 9:47 AM on 5/30, issued at 9:47 AM Alamo, TN | Bells, TN | Bogota, TN | Crockett Mills, TN

Autopsy Rules Death of Chavis Carter a Suicide

Related Links

Contributor: Eli Ross

Email: eross@abc24.com

Print Story

Published: 8/20/2012 11:52 am

Updated: 8/20/2012 5:26 pm

Read the Autopsy Report for Chavis Carter (151.4KB)

JONESBORO, AR (abc24.com) - An autopsy report rules the death of man shot while handcuffed in back of Arkansas patrol car as a suicide.

The Arkansas Crime Lab released their results in the shooting investigation of 21-year-old Chavis Carter, whose death has been deemed suspicious but Carter's family and friends. Carter died after he was pulled over following a July 28 traffic stop.

Moments before the shooting, dashcam video released by the Jonesboro Police Department shows Chavis Carter was pulled out of the pickup truck containing two other men. He was searched and police find what appear to be baggies of marijuana in his pocket. Soon afterwards he was escorted to the squad car where police say Carter killed himself.

Carter's family maintains he was murdered, but the autopsy report states the manner of the gunshot wound is consistent with suicide.

Just a few days prior to the autopsy report's release on Monday, August 20, the Jonesboro Police Department created a re-enactment video demonstrating how a handcuffed suspect could commit suicide.

Chavis Carter, Jonesboro, police', Shooting, Suicide

Print Story

12 Comment(s)

Comments: Show | Hide

Here are the most recent story comments.View All

The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of abc24 News

stunSEED - 8/25/2012 10:06 AM

1 Vote

Report User

why do you say "we" don't do this and that? Are "WE" all not human? Are you not behind the ones screaming for equality? Then why divide races even more by saying us and them? I thought people wanted to be treated EQUALLY...And for you to say someone is dumb(which I guess is what you meant by "dumbiest")((which isn't a word!)), is funny. And also the word is TEMPLE he shot himself in. Not TEMPER!!! Geez! Also if you can't reach into your waist area and grab something and lean your head over towards your hands, you must not be flexible AT ALL! Sorry bruh-man killed himself. Probably all that stuff ehe was jacked up on. AND the gun was stolen! Dude wasn't living right, plain and simple. Give it up....

colajack - 8/24/2012 11:17 AM

0 Votes

Report User

Dazedconfuzed, you got to be the dumbiest jacka i've read from. how does a person (really think about it)handcuffed in the back can shoot themselve in the temper, how? The cuffs are on so damn tight to you wish you didn't have to move at all, but to pull a gun out from where and shoot yourself come jackazz think bout it. And why did you bring his mother into this? And we can't except responsibility is okay, but one thing we don't go jumping off buildings, killing others cause we lost our jobs or house or spouse left, witch get your she it (say it fast) right.

stunSEED - 8/21/2012 9:11 PM

1 Vote

Report User

Being a human(prone to mistakes, yada, yada, yada) is one thing. Being held responsible for someones decision to take their own life is another. Not saying they don't need some more training, but saying they are guilty of something besides either being lazy or incompetent is just nuts to me. Truth be told, they probably just checked his pockets, and not his private areas. Then they said "oh we searched him" to cover up for their laziness and/or imcompetence. BUT the ONLY reason this is a story is because of the race of the guy. While it was a strange story, and would have made a headline here and there, NOW after the autopsy and tox. report, people STILL want to point fingers! Like the coroner was in on this huge plan to kill this guy......Just gets old, thats all.

AMBER85 - 8/21/2012 4:05 PM

0 Votes

Report User

stunSEED... Let me ask you this (please keep in mind before throwing a race card that I am white) What if he had taken that gun that the JPD did not find and escaped and used it to kill your child or your signifcant other? Yes I do blame them and that is why. They not only put themselves in danger they put other members of the community in danger. Thats why its imperative that they do find things like this. Im not asking the cop to find a nickel its a gun so yes I do find it hard to believe how he could have missed that gun. And to answer your question no I could not have searched him and found that gun but then again I havent been trained to do so either. I understand that he killed himself and he pulled the trigger but JPD did a piss poor job in searching him if they didnt find a gun after two searches.

dazedconfuzed - 8/21/2012 2:09 PM

2 Votes

Report User

Dumb sob dead from suicide...NOBODY cares except for race bait stirrers in our society. Thaddeus Matthews(MAMBA)...kiss my azz. This kid killed himself, and in the grand African american fashion, blacks can not accept responsibility for anything. CCC's Mom....get over it, as your son was selling and doing drugs. If you had done your job as a mother, he might not have been in this situation.

stunSEED - 8/21/2012 11:10 AM

3 Votes

Report User

ARE YOU INSANE!!?? How in the world are they to blame for that??!! Could YOU search someone over and over and over and EVERY SINGLE TIME be 100% accurate on them? I will answer that for you---NO! To blame ANYONE except for the suspect in this case is nuts. He was either trying to get rid of the stolen gun and it went off, or trying to kill himself. I mean with all that was in his system, either one is probable.

AMBER85 - 8/21/2012 8:57 AM

0 Votes

Report User

I wouldnt go as far to say they are corrupt but it probably wouldnt hurt for the JPD to take a class on how to search someone after you cuff them and before you put them in the back of the car! They arent exactly innocent in the whole thing b/c all of this could have been avoided had the cop done his job the way he was trained to do it and found the gun the first time!

stunSEED - 8/20/2012 10:59 PM

4 Votes

Report User

lol how does missing something in a search make you corrupt? So what? Now we are going to say the medical examiner was in on it too!?!? Grow up. It is what it is. Sorry everything can't be about race....

missy22 - 8/20/2012 8:09 PM

0 Votes

Report User

The whole thing is pretty d7mn hard to believe.

libertyfirst - 8/20/2012 7:14 PM

2 Votes

Report User

The coverup continues. IF the young man was "searched, handcuffed, and searched again", according to the JPD report - and the police were the least bit competent at their job, the only way this person gets a bullet to the head is if he is EXECUTED. If the cops LIED to coverup their incompetence in the handcuffing and searching procedures, and he truly did shoot himself, then they have made a false official report to cover themselves and be terminated. So JPD, which is it? Are these cops NEGLIGENT AND CORRUPT, OR EXECUTIONERS? There are NO other explanations....

Click Here to Add Your Comments View All