Autopsy: Man shot in chest, back by MARTA officer

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By George Mathis

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The man shot and killed Saturday night by a MARTA police officer was shot once in the chest and twice in the back, medical examiners said Tuesday.

MARTA MARTA spokeswoman Cara Hodgson said Monday that Officer Robert Waldo fired the shots that killed Joetavius Stafford, 19, of Atlanta late Saturday night.

Autopsy little help in MARTA case

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Joetavious Stafford, 19, of Atlanta, was killed by officer Robert Waldo, 31, outside the Vine City train station at about 10:20 p.m., MARTA has said.

Fulton County Chief Medical Examiner Randy Hanzlick, in a press release, wrote, "There were three gunshot entry wounds. There were no exit wounds and three bullets were recovered. One of the entry wounds was located on the left front chest area, another was on the left side of the mid-back, and the third was near the mid-lower back. The autopsy does not provide information to indicate Joetavious’ body position when he was shot or the order in which the shots occurred. None of the entry wounds appear to be close range or contact wounds. The cause of death is gunshot wounds of the torso."

Full results of the autopsy, conducted Sunday by Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Michele Stauffenberg, were not released.

Waldo has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending an investigation.

MARTA, on Monday, said Stafford was armed.

"We think this was a legitimate and justified [shooting] incident," MARTA spokesman Lyle Harris said.

The shooting happened near the Georgia Dome where high school football games were played Saturday night.

Stafford's brother, Rodney Stafford told Channel 2 Action News that his sibling was involved in a melee when a shot was fired by somebody in the crowd. He contends that Waldo ran toward the fight and shot his brother after he halted.

"My brother threw his hands up. MARTA police shot him in the back. Pow," Stafford told Channel 2. "And my brother lying on the ground, just looking at me and I was looking at his gunshot wound. As I'm looking at that, MARTA police shot him two more times in the back."

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating.