Michael Brown Autopsy: Performer Dr. Baden Says Brown Could Have Survived All Shots, Except the One to the Head
After completing a private autopsy requested by slain teen Michael Brown's family, Dr. Michael Baden believes the only fatal shot Brown sustained was to his head.
In a press conference at The Greater St. Mark's Missionary Baptist Church on Monday morning, Dr. Baden spoke about the findings he and his assistant Professor Shawn Parcells found. Baden said that out of the six or more shots that were fired by police officer Darren Wilson, the only one that would have cost Brown his life was the one that was administered to the top of his head.
Parcells felt that even though it is impossible to know what shots were fired in what order, clues were given to suggest which ones were the last to happen.
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"Dr. Baden and I both feel that because of the two gunshot wounds to the head indicating that Mr. Brown was bending over as they were coming down, those two shots were most likely the last to occur to him," Parcells said. He further explained that Brown sustained one shot to the apex of his head, one above the right eyebrow (which re-entered the body as well), two graze wounds (one at the top of the right shoulder and one on his right hand), and one into his right forearm.
On Aug. 9, 18-year-old Michael Brown was walking with a friend in the middle of the street, when he was asked to move by police. When he did not, police officer Darren Wilson allegedly reversed his car to confront Brown. Witnesses say there was a struggle inside the car which led to a shot being fired.
Brown and his friend fled the scene, and Brown allegedly surrendered after being shot, raising his arms, but Wilson fired two shots to his head. The investigation is ongoing.
In the days since the death of the unarmed black teen, the small town of Ferguson, Missouri has been filled with civil unrest and clashes between protestors and police.
On Monday, Baden and Parcells both fetl that the shot fired into Brown's forearm either came from when he was fleeing the police car or possibly when he raised his arms in the air to surrender, but they needed to examine the first autopsy to compare results. The autopsy did not include the clothes Brown had on during the incident, which Baden believes would give more clues about the actual range in which Brown was fired upon. He also said there was no gunpowder residue on the skin, but that could have be filtered by the clothes.
Dr. Baden also said there were no signs of any struggle on Brown's body. "There are abrasions around the right side of Mr. Brown's Face….(from) rubbing against the ground," Baden explained. "Which happened, as best we can tell, after the gunshot wounds. He fell down unprotected and got those abrasions. Otherwise there is no evidence of a struggle."
The prosecutors, defense, FBI and the family would have to see the medical examination of officer Wilson to corroborate the account of Brown trying to wrestle the gun from him inside of the police car. Attorney General Eric Holder ordered that a third autopsy be conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The autopsy will take place "as soon as possible" according to a statement released by the Justice Department
