Continuing Coverage: Police shooting
Continuing Coverage: Police shooting

Autopsy: Rayshard Brooks died of ‘gunshot wounds of the back’

Rayshard Brooks, 27, was killed late Friday by Atlanta police following a struggle outside an Atlanta Wendy's restaurant.
Rayshard Brooks, 27, was killed late Friday by Atlanta police following a struggle outside an Atlanta Wendy's restaurant.
By Ty Tagami
June 14, 2020

Rayshard Brooks, the black man shot by Atlanta police outside a Wendy's in the city's Southside Friday night, suffered organ damage and blood loss from two gunshot wounds, the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office determined Sunday after completing an autopsy.

"His cause of death: gunshot wounds of the back," an investigator from the medical examiner’s office told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard released a statement about it Sunday.

“Today, members of my staff had the unfortunate duty of witnessing the autopsy of Mr. Brooks as part of our continued investigation.

“Because this is a homicide investigation, there are several technical requirements that must be met before we are able to reach a decision. That includes the confirmation of the ballistics involved and obtaining a preliminary report from the Medical Examiner,” according to the DA’s statement.

» Complete Coverage: Rayshard Brooks case and Atlanta protests

About the Author

Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.

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