The report by Chief Medical Examiner Michael Hunter, released Thursday, found the cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds, including to Woods’ head, back, abdomen, buttocks, legs and hands.
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A blood toxicology exam found that at the time of his death, Woods had methamphetamine, marijuana, cough medicine, antidepressants, caffeine and nicotine in his system. “Police initially alleged that Woods lunged at them with a 4.5” knife, a fact which Woods’ family’s attorney says is disproved by cell phone video of the incident.
Woods’ shooting near a T-Third line stop on Third Street generated public outrage after it was captured on several bystander videos that were widely circulated on social media.
Several San Francisco supervisors calling for an independent Federal investigation into the department’s policies and an apology to the Woods family. According to CNN, who obtained the report from network affiliate KRON, Woods also sustained “five injuries from less than lethal firearm rounds and six injuries likely caused by shrapnel”. He can be seen motioning toward the officers, staggering, and then trying to walk away along a wall as one of the officers moved into his path. Some of the wounds could have been from the same bullet, the autopsy says. He was declared dead at the scene.
Attorney John Burris, who filed the civil rights and wrongful death lawsuit against the city in federal court in December, Friday said no one other than officers had heard Woods tell police they would have to shoot him, but even if he did, it did not justify the use of “extreme force”.
Chief of Police Ed Suhr has said he will not resign as a result of the shooting and Mayor Ed Lee said he has no plans to fire Suhr. Burris said the report provides further evidence that “the officers should have taken the time when they saw he was not responding, and not created a confrontation with him”.
“What does inform that decision, which is something they don’t want to deal with is the video”, Pointer said.
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Woods’ family has said that he suffered from mental health issues, and Burris said the officers also failed to assess Woods’ mental state and recognize that he was impaired. “Similarly it is equally as hard to read the medical examiner’s report”. “That said, newly released information in the autopsy report appears to corroborate facts gathered by investigators in the aftermath of this tragic incident”. The U.S. Justice Department has announced a review of overall department policies and practices but not an investigation into Woods’ shooting. Republication, retransmission or reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc.is prohibited.
