JONESBORO, Ark., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- A man killed by a gunshot wound to the head while handcuffed in the back of a police car on July 28 committed suicide, an Arkansas medical examiner ruled.
Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Stephen A. Erickson said autopsy results indicate Chavis Carter, 21, tested positive for methamphetamine, anti-anxiety medication and other drugs, CBS reported Tuesday.
Erickson said the bullet that killed Carter entered his skull near the right temple, four inches from the top of his head.
"The manner of death is based on autopsy findings and the investigative conclusions of the Jonesboro Police Department," Erickson wrote.
Carter's family said he was not suicidal and questioned whether it was physically possible to retrieve a concealed weapon and shoot himself in the head while handcuffed and seated.
Carter and two other men had been pulled over in a traffic stop. Police said they searched Carter twice and did not find a gun.
