Autopsy: Suspect killed by St. Louis police was shot in back

[anodyne]

www.kmov.com/story/29850272/autopsy-suspect-killed-by-st-louis-police-was-shot-in-back


ST. LOUIS (AP/KMOV.com) - The St. Louis police chief says an autopsy shows that an 18-year-old who was shot and killed by an officer this week died from a single wound in the back.

Police Chief Sam Dotson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the location of Mansur Ball-Bey's wound neither proves nor disproves two officers' accounts that Ball-Bey pointed a gun at them before they shot at him Wednesday.

Dotson said that "just because he was shot in the back doesn't mean he was running away."

According to Dotson, Ball-Bey was fatally shot after authorities arrived at a home in the 1240 block of Walton to execute a search warrant around 11:30 Wednesday morning.

When police approached the home, two suspects were seen running out of the back armed with guns. Officers ordered the suspects to drop their weapons, at which time Ball-Bey stopped and pointed a gun at police, authorities said. The two officers then fired a total of four gunshots towards the suspect, according to police. Dotson said one witness corroborates that Ball-Bey was armed.

After being shot, police said, Ball-Bey continued running until he collapsed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police stated a gun stolen out of Rolla was found in Ball-Bey's possession.

An attorney for Ball-Bey's family said witnesses told him Ball-Bey was unarmed.

A University of Missouri-St. Louis criminologist, David Klinger, said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it constitutional for police to shoot someone in the back if they believe that person could be a threat.

Dotson said the investigation is ongoing and that Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce will be conducting her own independent investigation. Dotson also said police officers will be going to 12 hour shifts in light of recent protests. The Missouri Highway Patrol will also be on stand by.

[swsaradee]

Ummm, so how do you get shot in the back unless you are facing away from the shooter?