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Family: Man wouldn't shoot self in Ark. patrol car

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Chavis Carter, died in the back of a patrol car

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Updated: 8/11/2012 7:31 pm

Published: 8/11/2012 7:30 pm

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The family of a young man who was fatally shot in an Arkansas patrol car while his hands were cuffed behind his back says he wasn't the type of person who would kill himself.

Jonesboro police initially said 21-year-old Chavis Carter shot himself in the head after officers stopped a truck that Carter was riding in. The officers searched Carter twice and found a small bag of marijuana but no gun until after they saw Carter bleeding in the back of a patrol car late last month.

Police Chief Michael Yates said it appears that Carter shot himself, but he said he's waiting on autopsy results which could provide more details about the shooting.

Carter's great-aunt says Carter didn't have a sad bone in his body.

Associated Press

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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of FOX16 - Breaking News and Weather to Plan Your Day for Little Rock and Central Arkansas

TheLastHuman - 8/13/2012 1:13 PM

2 Votes

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Maybe he shot himself trying to get the firearm out to hide it or use it on officers? DUH!

ender929 - 8/13/2012 11:47 AM

2 Votes

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I am a little more likely to believe the LEOs on this one. If you're going to murder someone, its doubtful you'd put them in such an unbelievable situation. (Cuffed, controlled, and successfully confined within a squad car.) Second any evidence of criminal activity would be confined to a very small area, instead anywhere outside. Third, this is the best story you could come up with? Any episode of CSI, NCIS, Criminal Intent... would give you a better, more believable story line. (And LEOs hear every lie about any crime you can think of).

wpsark - 8/13/2012 10:39 AM

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Downsouf165, look at the populaion of (BLK MEN) in that part of Arkansas and you will understand why the majority are black...And this guy was probably trying to pull the gun out of where ever he had it hiding and it accidently went off. Was probably wanting to ditch it in the car somewhere before he was taken to jail and given a real search.

Downsouf165 - 8/13/2012 10:18 AM

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Welp i think this should be looked at very closley.There has been a few deaths envolving(BLK MEN)while in police custody.It happens often in that part of Arkansas.(Jonesboro and West Memphis).This just have me shaking my head.I dont have this feeling oftn but when i do something fishy is going on.I pray for this young brother Family.God bless.

jcarpe - 8/13/2012 10:18 AM

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Probably no big loss.

itsjustme - 8/13/2012 7:14 AM

1 Vote

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I dont think it is a question of "WOULD he shoot himself while in the back seat of a cruiser while handcuffed", I think its a question of "COULD he shoot himself while in the back seat of a cruiser while handcuffed". He was not facing anything major, even with the petty warrants out of MS. So why WOULD he want to shoot himself? Something dont add up here, and I am curious as to what happened. It'd be damn near impossible for me to be convinced he was able to do himself in like this.

ArkansasYankee - 8/13/2012 12:24 AM

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Butch is right; no one needs to die over weed; ( unless you are in one of the drug cartels down south of the border, they are slaughtering each other right and left ). I still say it smells, and I still think the Feds should look into it.

bat102 - 8/12/2012 5:10 PM

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To BUTCH54 If you understande the law ,the laws are the laws and he had something on his person that was against the law.But no he didn't need to die of that ,and again if it was ny his own doings we can't change that.

Butch54 - 8/12/2012 4:47 PM

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You can end up in the back off a police car not committing a crime or having a warrant. No one needs to die over a bag of pot. Some of the people that comment on here probably need mental help because there to stupid for words. Or maybe to be put in the very same car. Although when it happens to the stupid ones family they will cry the most. Right sandman.

golfdude2 - 8/12/2012 11:02 AM

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Good point Bat102 - if you don't have warrants out for ya, and don't commit crimes, you don't end up in handcuffs in the back seat

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