Michael Brown autopsy suggests he was shot at close range

Michael Brown, the black teenager who was shot to death by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, was shot in the hand at close range, according to a copy of the official autopsy obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Ferguson police claimed Brown was killed after lunging for officer Darren Wilson's gun during a struggle in a squad car, though some witnesses disputed that claim and said Brown had his hands in the air when he was shot. A medical examiner who did not perform the autopsy but who reviewed it for the newspaper said the findings "support that there was a significant altercation at the car."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up