LITTLE ROCK — Attorneys for the family of a young man who was fatally shot while his hands were cuffed behind him in an Arkansas patrol car have asked police to preserve evidence about his death, and police say they are preparing for a likely lawsuit.
Lawyers for 21-year-old Chavis Carter’s family haven’t spelled out what kind of legal action they anticipate filing in the coming months, but they said negligence likely will play a role.
Police in Jonesboro, Ark., said an officer searched Carter twice but didn’t find a gun before the shooting death, which medical examiners deemed a suicide. That officer was reprimanded but has since returned to work.
Police said their investigation into Carter’s death continues “in preparation for civil action.”