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Chavis Carter: This story doesn’t add up!

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How does someone handcuffed in the backseat of a police car - after having been searched by officers twice - shoot himself in the temple with a handgun?  This is the account being offered by the police department in Jonesboro, Arkansas, for the death of 21-year-old Chavis Carter while in police custody on a simple drug arrest, after what was previously a traffic stop.  Chavis' mother doesn't believe the officers' story, and is demanding a further investigation into these logic-defying circumstances.

This story is obviously very suspicious, and is rightfully gaining increasing attention throughout the country.

Check out the following piece, including 10 key questions, posted on Global Grind that I would agree should guide any legitimate follow-up by the police department to the public...

Dear Jonesboro Police Department,

We are deeply concerned about the details surrounding the death  of Chavis Carter. As your own police chief, Michael Yates, said last night,  his apparent suicide "defies logic" and in his words was "bizarre."  There are many unanswered questions that we demand answers for, as we  are having a very, very difficult time believing that this was truly  a suicide. If in fact it was a suicide, there are still many questions that  need answers as well. We urge our readers to remain calm and peaceful,  while at the same time we urge your police department to be transparent and  swift with your actions. Here are the questions:

1. Where is Chavis' gun? What kind of gun was used? Why haven’t  images of the gun been released to corroborate the story? Was a bullet  recovered?

2. How could someone who is handcuffed in a police vehicle  shoot himself in the head?

3. Did the bullet go through his right temple, as reported by  his mother? Pending a ballistics report, is there any gun powder residue  on the hands of Chavis Carter?

4. Why are the officers on administrative leave so soon after  the shooting if they are innocent?

5. Why did you redact two of the officers narratives of what happened  on Saturday night on the police report?

6. How did the officers miss a handgun (if in fact he actually had  one) after patting down Chavis Carter twice?

7. Why did the Police Chief say that there are two witnesses  who witnessed everything from the beginning to the end, when according  to your police report, the two witnesses left the scene before the  officers realized that Chavis was shot in the head?

8. When will you release the video footage from the car?

9. Who is investigating the case, will an internal investigation  be conducted or an independent one?

10. When the autopsy is finished, will it be released to show the  range at which the gun was fired? You can email your response to  EditorInChief@GlobalGrind.com.

Regards,

GlobalGrind Editorial Board

The FBI has reportedly responded pretty quickly with a commitment to investigate this tragedy further.

More surely to come...