The official autopsy report, released Monday, reveals Ezell Ford was shot three times: in the right arm, right back, and right abdomen
The report was made public more than four months after Ezell Ford, 25, was fatally shot by LAPD officers in South Los Angeles on Aug. 11 of this year. Family members say Ford was mentally challenged and harmless. The autopsy states that the gunshot wound to the right abdomen and back area were fatal, and that the back wound had a “muzzle imprint,” which indicates the shot was fired at close range. The third wound to the arm was not fatal, according to the report. L.A. police Chief Charlie Beck said Monday at a news conference:
There is nothing in the coroner’s report that is inconsistent with the statements given to us by the officers.
While the LAPD says the autopsy report doesn’t prove or disprove police misconduct in the case, some witnesses dispute the officers’ account of the incident. Witnesses told reporters Ford was face-down on the ground when he was shot; however, none of those witnesses agreed to be interviewed by investigators.
Steven Lerman, the lawyer representing the Ford family, says:
I dare say that this is criminal, I think they executed this poor young man, mentally incompetent man; defenseless, harmless, unarmed.
The delay in releasing the autopsy report was the result of a $75 million lawsuit the Ford family filed against the city. The coroner ruled Ford died of multiple gunshot wounds, and was classified as a homicide.
Read: Full Autopsy Report
-Infinite Wiz (@InfiniteWiz)