Police in a Louisiana town claim that a man committed suicide by shooting himself in the back while handcuffed after being arrested for marijuana and cocaine possession earlier this year. However, a coroner's report reveals that the man was actually shot in the chest.
Victor White, 22, died in New Iberia, La. on Mar. 3, and questions still surround his death. Though law enforcement insists that he shot himself in the back while handcuffed inside of a police car, an Iberia Parish coroner report accessed by NBC News shows that he sustained a gunshot wound to the chest:
The bullet entered his right chest and exited under his left armpit. White was left-handed, according to family members. According to the report, the forensic pathologist found gunshot residue in the wound, but not the sort of stippling that a close-range shot can sometimes produce. He also found abrasions on White’s face.
Still, the parish coroner sided with the police account of White's death, though NBC News reports that his hands were never tested for gun powder residue. White's father refuses to believe that his son committed suicide. "You can’t make me understand," Rev. Victor White ll told NBC News. "You can’t make me understand how my son took his left hand, when he was handcuffed behind the back, and shot himself. I don’t believe a thing they’re saying at this point."
The Louisiana State Police launched an investigation into White's death almost immediately after it took place, but it's still pending. As a result, Gawker notes that several important details remain private.
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