Autopsy sheds light on Sacramento police killing of Stephon Clark
Stephon Clark was shot seven times by Sacramento police officers, and at least three of the shots hit him in the back, according to an autopsy conducted by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.
The findings were released Tuesday afternoon, about six weeks after Clark’s death.
However, results of a private autopsy released on March 30 found Clark was shot eight times -- once on the side, six times in the back and the last bullet hit the back of his leg. The autopsy was arranged by Clark Family attorney Ben Crump and conducted by forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu,
Coroner Kimberly Gin said in the report that due to "erroneous information that was released from the private autopsy," the office had four forensic pathologists review the autopsy before releasing the findings. One of the four doctors who reviewed the autopsy was independent forensic pathologist Dr. Gregory D. Reiber.
According to the coroner's report, this is where the seven bullets hit Clark:
One bullet went through Clark’s neck, from right to left and slightly front to back.
One bullet hit his right arm, from right to left and downward direction.
One bullet hit his back, from right to left, slightly upward and back to front.
One bullet hit Clark’s chest, from right to left, slightly back to front and in an upward direction.
One bullet hit his back, from right to left, slightly upward and went back to front.
One bullet hit Clark’s back, from right to left, horizontal and slightly back to front.
One bullet hit his thigh, from front to back and in an upward direction.
According to Reiber, Omalu misidentified an exit wound as an entrance wound, which led to Omalu concluding that Clark was hit eight times.
“This is a significant error as it leads to incorrect conclusions regarding the relative positions of the victim and the shooters during the event," Reiber said in his review.
Clark's cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, according to the coroner's report.
Reiber said in his review Clark's death would have taken "several minutes." Omalu said his death took between three to 10 minutes.
The toxicology reports found cocaine metabolite, cannabinoids, codeine, alprazolam, nicotine, hydrocodone, promethazine and etizolam in Clark's blood. Codeine and hydrocodone were found in his urine. One report also found that Clark's blood alcohol level was .08, while another report said it was .09.
With the autopsy done by Omalu, it is unclear whether or not Clark’s toxicology was tested.
A closer look at the toxicology report shows:
Nicotine and cotinine, which are in tobacco.
Alprazolam, which is the chemical name for Xanax – an anti-anxiety medication. The reporting limit is 5 ml, Clark had 90 ml in his blood.
Alpha-Hydroxyalprazolam, which is similar to Xanax. The reporting limit is 5 ml, Clark had 33 ml in his blood.
Codeine, which is a low-level opioid. It is used as a painkiller and a cough suppressant.
Hydrocodone, which is an opioid similar to OxyContin. The reporting limit is 5 ml, Clark had 5.9 ml in his system.
Etizolam, which is similar to Xanax. The reporting limit is 4 ng, Clark had 7.2 ng in his blood.
Cannabinoids, which is found in cannabis. Clark had amounts of cannabinoids in his blood exceeding the reportable limit for an autopsy.
Promethazine, which is a common cough and nausea suppressant. It is often mixed with codeine. It can make users sleepy.
Cocaine metabolite is what is found in a person’s blood after the effects or instances of cocaine have diminished or left the person’s system.
Clark was shot and killed March 18 in his grandparents' backyard in south Sacramento. Officers were responding to a call about a person breaking car windows at night. A Sacramento County sheriff’s helicopter then led officers to Clark, who ran away from officers.
The two responding officers believed Clark was armed and fired 20 rounds at him, police said. Investigators later discovered Clark was holding a cellphone.
