JONESBORO, AR (abc24.com) - Case closed. Jonesboro Police Chief Michael Yates is breaking his silence as his department wraps up its investigation into how a Southaven man died in the back of a patrol car after a traffic stop.
Jonesboro Police released dozens of pages of information Thursday related to its investigation into how Chavis Carter, 21, died in the back of a patrol car after a traffic stop on July 28th.
The Arkansas State Medical Examiner ruled Carter committed suicide.
"I think there might be a remote possibility that he did it accidentally, but I think it very remote," Chief Yates said in an exclusive interview with abc24.com.
The report reveals the gun investigators found near Carter was tested for finger prints, but no prints were found.
It also states that Officer Ron Marsh, the officer who searched Carter twice and missed the gun, and then later discovered Carter in the back of his patrol car slumped over, had a personal recording device in his pocket.
According to the report, Marsh handed the memory card to another officer.
"This smaller card was misplaced somewhere between the scene and the police department," the report states.
"Both were apparently placed in a white envelope and transported to the PD, however the smaller card was missed due to size," the report said.
Yates stands by his investigation.
"If you go through the case as a whole and look at the whole picture, and are familiar with every piece of evidence and every photo it becomes very self evident what happened," Yates said.
A lawyer for Carter's family said he continues to review all that JPD released, but that he is more convinced than ever the investigation was flawed.
