Pubdate: Thu, 24 Feb 2005
Source: Spartanburg Herald Journal (SC)
Copyright: 2005 The Spartanburg Herald-Journal
Contact:  http://www.goupstate.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/977
Author: Dudley Brown
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids)

AUTOPSY: GRAY HIT 5 TIMES BY 3 SHOTS

After almost two weeks of speculation, the Spartanburg County Coroner's 
Office released an autopsy report Wednesday for a man killed by undercover 
sheriff's officers.

Spartanburg County Coroner Jim Burnett said Aaron Clark Gray, 24, was 
wounded five times from three gunshots from officers following a drug buy 
two weeks ago.

Burnett said the Coroner's Office couldn't determine the total number of 
shots fired, but only the number of times they believe Gray was hit.

Burnett said Gray's death is being ruled a homicide and the fatal shot was 
to the forehead. Gray also suffered a grazing wound to the chin, in and out 
wounds to the upper chest and a wound to the cheek possibly from a bullet 
splitting, Burnett said.

Gray's family has said he was wounded seven times and the Rev. Jesse 
Jackson held a news conference in Spartanburg earlier this week and 
reiterated the number.

Jackson said Gray was shot in the face four times, once in the back of the 
head and twice in the chest.

Burnett said one bullet could lead to multiple wounds.

"Wounds don't necessarily mean number of gunshots fired," he said.

Burnett also said some holes that Gray's family saw on his body could have 
been incisions from surgery trying to save his life, because Gray was still 
alive when he was transported to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.

Jackson accused officers of shooting Gray at point-blank range, but Burnett 
said the Coroner's Office couldn't

determine the distances the shots came from.

Burnett said he expects to release a toxicology report next week that would 
detail if Gray had been drinking or using drugs the night of his death.

Dr. David Wren, a Spartanburg pathologist, provided the written autopsy for 
the Coroner's Office. Burnett gave a copy of the report to state Rep. Karl 
Allen, D-Greenville, a Greenville-based attorney who is representing Gray's 
estate.

He also said the information had been given to Davida Mathis, another 
Greenville-based attorney representing Gray's father, Kenneth Landrum, and 
the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition that Jackson leads.

Phone messages for Allen and Mathis weren't returned Wednesday evening.

Gray is accused of trying to run over two undercover officers after they 
completed a drug deal with him Feb. 10 on Overhill Circle near Highway 9. 
The Sheriff's Office has said the officers were acting in self-defense.

The Sheriff's Office isn't commenting on the case because it is still under 
investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division.

"It was a tragic thing for that family," said Major Dan Johnson, spokesman 
for the Sheriff's Office. "I'm sure all of the facts will come out. We're 
on standby like everyone else."

Gray's family and Jackson are requesting a federal investigation.

"We welcome that," Johnson said. "It makes the investigation more thorough."

The officers involved, Chris Raymond and Glen Stewart, are back at work 
doing administrative tasks and aren't on the streets, Johnson said. He said 
both have completed counseling.

Gray's death is the third by a Spartanburg County sheriff's deputy in the 
last nine months.
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