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Autopsy Indicates Michael Brown Killed in Ferguson May Have Struggled for Officer’s Gun

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The official autopsy of Michael Brown killed by a police officer in the US city of Ferguson in August, shows that the teenager was shot at close range possibly trying to go for the officer's firearm, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday.

MOSCOW, October 22 (RIA Novosti) - The official autopsy of Michael Brown killed by a police officer in the US city of Ferguson in August, shows that the teenager was shot at close range possibly trying to go for the officer's firearm, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday.

In addition, a post-mortem blood analysis has shown Brown was under influence of marijuana during the fatal incident.

"The deceased body sustained multiple gunshot wounds; three [3] wound to his head … two [2] wounds to his chest … three [3] wounds to his right arm … one [1] wound to the inside of his right hand," the autopsy report, available on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's website said.

According to Dr. Michael Graham, who provided an independent review of the report for the newspaper, the data "does support that there was a significant altercation at the car".

Dr. Judy Melinek, a San Francisco-based forensic expert, told the newspaper that the presence of gunpowder in Brown's wounds indicates that he was reaching for the officer's gun. "If he has his hand near the gun when it goes off, he's going for the officer's gun," Melinek suggested.

The pathologist added that the autopsy runs counter to the testimonies suggesting the teenager was shot while running away from the police vehicle or with his hands up. She argued that the trajectory of a bullet which hit Brown's forearm shows he probably was not in a surrender position.

Post-Dispatch also cited the results of a toxicology test, performed at St. Louis University. The examination has revealed that Brown used marijuana shortly before his death.

"The detection of THC [tetrahydrocannabiol] in the postmortem blood of Michael Brown really indicates his recent use of marijuana [within a few hours] and that he may or may not have been impaired at the time of his death," Alfred Staubus, a consultant at the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, told the newspaper.

Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old African-American was shot dead by white police officer Darren Wilson from his vehicle on August 9. An inquiry into the shooting hinges on whether Wilson, 28, fired in self-defense.

The incident triggered a long wave of protests against police brutality in Ferguson and all across the country. The protesters used a slogan "Hands up, Don't Shoot," and a relevant gesture to demonstrate solidarity with Brown, who some of the witnesses said was killed in a surrender posture. However, officer Wilson told the authorities he acted fearing for his life, as the teenager struggled for his gun.

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