Man Shot HIMSELF While Handcuffed?

Man Shot While Handcuffed: FBI Investigating:what:

Police say 21-year-old Chavis Carter shot himself in the head while handcuffed in the back of a police car in Jonesboro, Ark. His family members think it's impossible that he pulled the trigger on himself, and believe the officers were responsible and are trying to cover it up.

:waitasec: I think family has a good point. :twocents:

http://www.theroot.com/buzz/fbi-investigate-21-year-old-shot-while-handcuffed

From Huffington: "We’ve reviewed the dashcam video and as late as today managed to have some witnesses come forward that observed the incident from start to finish," Yates said. "And their statements tend to support that whatever transpired in the back of that police car transpired in the back with the officers in a different location.”

The italics are mine.

The dashcam will show if the kid shot himself or not. Either way, someone messed up big time.

Oops http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/02/chavis-carter-handcuffed-fbi_n_1735211.html

Well, seems like the dashcam cuts off before the shooting, then picks up again after the body was found. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...-suicide-case_n_1800842.html?utm_hp_ref=crime

I do not believe this is what happened, not for one second. I was born at night, but not last night.

I wonder if anyone has considered that perhaps he did shoot himself without meaning to. Handling a gun while in handcuffs would obviously be tricky but not impossible. I could see how trying to maneuver a gun around with handcuffs might be a bit more likely to go off unintentionally.

In July there was a woman somewhere around St Louis who shot herself while in custody in the back of a police car too. I don't know if she was in handcuffs though.

Autopsy shows he had meth and other drugs in his system.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...15516a-eb33-11e1-866f-60a00f604425_story.html

I read where they said what what kind of gun was used and it was cheap small caliber pistol that didn't have any good review. So with that said I could not image a cop carrying not even as a back. So that make me think he brought it into the car with him.

Meth users do some insane things. I just don't know.

It would be pretty bold for 2 cops to shoot a guy in the head and think they would get away with it. Or one to do it and the other cop not turn on him.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_...rk-mans-death-a-suicide-finds-multiple-drugs/

Chavis Carter autopsy rules handcuffed Ark. man's death a suicide, finds multiple drugs

An Arkansas medical examiner has 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.

What could possibly be the reason for cops to shot him? I can see cops roughing someone up, but why in the world would they shoot this guy as he sat in a car? I think he did hide that gun in the car and then manage to shoot himself. Who knows why-but there were drugs in his system.

Not to mention, the articles say "witnesses".
So, why would cops shoot someone in the head in a police car with witnesses around?

I'm looking forward to hearing more on this from the FBI.

I get hink all over this one. They searched him, found a small dime bag of marijauana, but failed to find a handgun secreted somewhere on his person? This one bothers me a bunch but before I decide I know there was wrongdoing on the part of LE I will attempt to restrain myself til this has been thoroughly investigated.

tlcox said:

I get hink all over this one. They searched him, found a small dime bag of marijauana, but failed to find a handgun secreted somewhere on his person? This one bothers me a bunch but before I decide I know there was wrongdoing on the part of LE I will attempt to restrain myself til this has been thoroughly investigated.

Click to expand...

From what I read, they did a quick pat down and put him in the car not hancuffed. Then took him back out, did a more detailed search, cuffed him, and put him back in the car.

So, the thinking there is he may have stowed the gun in the car the first time he was put in.

I am glad though that the investigation is in the FBI's hands.
I hope answers come soon for all involved.

JMO

ETA:
Carter was searched twice, and police said they found a small amount of marijuana but no gun. After the first search, an officer put Carter into a patrol car without handcuffing him. He was later searched again, handcuffed and returned to the same car.

"It's obvious they did miss the weapon on the first search. It is likely, since he was placed into the car un-handcuffed the first time, that he had an opportunity to stash the weapon in the car," Jonesboro Police Chief Michael Yates said last week. "The second search, which was more thorough and inclusive, did not disclose the weapon either."


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/2...w-handcuffed-arkansas-man-shot/#ixzz24C4j6QDz

Kimberly, that paints a better picture at least.

I have learned not to jump to conclusions after that Duke LaCrosse case.

Jesse Jackson to visit Jonesboro for Carter case

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2012/aug/21/jesse-jackson-visit-jonesboro-carter-case/


:waiting:

It's about to get REAL interesting.

The FBI is investigating. What does JJ think he will accomplish???

JMO

http://www.arkansasonline.com/videos/2012/aug/17/6693/

Police interviews in Chavis Carter case

The Jonesboro Police Department on Thursday released video and audio of some of its interviews with witnesses in the death of Chavis Carter.


ETA: This is about 19 minutes long.
First recorded phone statement from C.G. - 8/1/2012
Says truck had lights off and was going back and forth down street. Kept stopping and looking. Only parking lights on.
He says he heard a little pop but didn't know it was a gunshot. It was before officers opened the doors and found Chavis Carter after he was shot. Then ambulance showed up.
He says he heard the officers saying Chavis shot himself.
He gave a name and phone # for a female that was there and saw it all too.

Second is interview in person of a female in the office. This appears to be the female C.G. told LE about.
8/1/2012
Says truck looked suspicious to her. No lights. Up and down street. Kept stopping.
She walked to C.G.'s house with her girls.
C.G. called 911
She saw 2 cars pulled up.
She said they let the other 2 guys go.
They kept one. Put him in police car.
about 10-15 minutes after that, heard a loud pop.
Officers were standing on the outside of the car talking. Cop car doors were closed when she heard the pop. Officers were not in the car. When the cops heard the pop, they walked towards the car. Started yelling.
After the pop. Police entered the backseat of the car. Working on Chavis. One was at Chavis' legs, one was at his front. Then ambulance came.
She says the pop sounded like a gun.
When LE talks about news saying the family thinks LE shot Chavis, the witness looks at him really funny, laughs and says no.

Pretty strong witness statement.

http://m.kait8.com/autojuice?target...ity-council-meeting-jesse-jackson-plans-visit

Protest over Chavis Carter at city council meeting; Jesse Jackson plans visit.

According to organizers, the Arkansas Chapter of the Commission on Religion and Racism (CORR) plan on attending Tuesday night's Jonesboro City Council meeting to voice their concerns and renew their call for police chief Mike Yates to step down over the investigation.


You have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!
Wonder if any of these protesters have seen/heard the eye witness statements????
This is quickly turning into a "race" issue. JJ coming, rainbow coalition, CORR...

But, BOTH witnesses are black.

The man seems to have shot himself in the head. FBI is investigating.
What exactly are they protesting????

And why should the police chief step down?

GMAB

Wayyyyy back in the early 90's, I was dating an LEO. He was working at the training academy with some new recruits, and asked if I'd be willing to participate in the training. I agreed - shoot, why not?

I was trim, very strong, and very flexible. We did one scenario where I was taken out of a car, put in handcuffs, and put in the back of a squad car. What the trainees didn't know was that I requested and was given a (toy) gun which I promptly tucked into my shirt, down into my bra. I am fairly decently built, so it wasn't obvious by looking.

Sure enough, I was "felony stopped", removed from the car, cuffed behind my back, searched, and put into the back of the cruiser with a seatbelt on. While the officers were outside the car dealing with something else (my friend was also my "partner in crime"), I managed to undo the seatbelt, bring my hands down my backside and under my legs so that they were in front of me, and took out the "weapon". I then refastened the seat belt.

When the trainees got back into the car, they NEVER looked in the back seat...they never noticed that my hands were now in front of me instead of where they were supposed to be.

And they never saw the "gun." I "killed" them both...and then went over the front seat and "got away."

Those trainees, and all the other ones watching, learned something really valuable that day. Searches MUST be thorough, or it will get you killed.

I also participated in several SWAT training episodes after that one, and took out a few other cops, but it was "all pretend" and with SWAT it was with paintguns...it was terrifying to me how easy it was to get the drop on them when they weren't prepared for it...and even though they were SWAT, there were some things they couldn't prepare for: me hiding in the closet and picking them off as they came around corners, and so on...but I digress.

In this situation, based on my experience, yes, a small gun can EASILY be missed, and a person, adrenalin running, high on drugs, doesn't even have to be flexible to manage to retrieve and then use the gun on himself or the cops (or passersby).

I can see it happening the way it's been described. Because I've done it...and because searches are notoriously sloppy, and, in my case, the trainees felt awkward touching a female's breasts. I can imagine that it's very hard to search a guy in loose pants and be able to get a gun that has been secreted there.

I feel bad for Chavis, of course, but I can also see how this could easily occur.

Just thought I'd share my opinion and "experience".

Best-
Herding Cats