The UNC student killed by Archdale police during a traffic stop in August was shot four times after he made a suggestive move toward his pocket, which police interpreted as going for a gun, according to reports released by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Thursday.
The autopsy also confirms that Courtland Smith was drunk at the time of his death, with a blood alcohol content of at least .22, well over the legal limit of .08. But the report said his body showed no presence of a type of drug used as sleep sedatives or to relieve anxiety.
Smith, 21, was shot by officer Jeremy Flinchum during a traffic stop on Interstate 85 in the early morning of August 23.
The autopsy found the fraternity president suffered gunshot wounds from a .357-caliber gun to the lower abdomen, the left thigh, the upper back and a fourth bullet that passed through his left forearm into his upper abdomen.
As he drove at high speeds down the highway, Smith, a junior at UNC Chapel Hill from Houston, called 911 and told a Guilford County dispatcher he was driving drunk and asked if someone can come drive with him.
He told the dispatcher he had a 9-millimeter pistol with him and said, "I'm trying to kill myself on I-40."
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The autopsy was performed two days after Smith died on Aug. 23 and completed Wednesday. It listed alcohol and depression as contributing factors in Smith's death.
Smith had commented to friends on the day he died and previously "about possible suicidal ideas," according to an accompanying narrative describing what investigators told medical examiners.
Smith's mother, Susan, told the News & Observer of Raleigh in August that "His best friend was with him at 2 a.m. and said he was fine." A message left with the Smith family Thursday was not returned.
Smith left a party that his fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon, had hosted around 12:30 a.m. on the morning he died. He was shot by an Archdale police officer just before 5 a.m., about 35 seconds after his car was stopped, according to police radio traffic.
Smith told a 911 dispatcher he was trying to kill himself and that he had a 9mm gun as he drove west along interstate highways from Chapel Hill, according to emergency tapes released in August. Archdale police stopped Smith on an Interstate 85 exit south of Greensboro. Officer Jeremy Paul Flinchum, 29, shot Smith after a confrontation, according to a police report.
When Smith's car came to a stop, police can be heard in the background shouting, "Stay in the car! Stay in the car!"
"I've got to pull something out, I've got to pull something out," Smith responded in a muffled voice.
The autopsy report's narrative said: "He got out of the car and made a suggestive move toward his pocket which the police interpreted as a move to get a gun. They then fired on him and he was hit in (the abdomen/chest) and dropped down."
The State Bureau of Investigation, which probes police shootings, continues to investigate, spokeswoman Jennifer Canada said Thursday.
A judge ruled late last month that dashboard video cameras mounted on the police cruisers at the scene did not have to be released to the public or media organizations.
The autopsy also confirms that Courtland Smith was drunk at the time of his death, with a blood alcohol content of at least .22, well over the legal limit of .08. But the report said his body showed no presence of a type of drug used as sleep sedatives or to relieve anxiety.
Smith, 21, was shot by officer Jeremy Flinchum during a traffic stop on Interstate 85 in the early morning of August 23.
The autopsy found the fraternity president suffered gunshot wounds from a .357-caliber gun to the lower abdomen, the left thigh, the upper back and a fourth bullet that passed through his left forearm into his upper abdomen.
As he drove at high speeds down the highway, Smith, a junior at UNC Chapel Hill from Houston, called 911 and told a Guilford County dispatcher he was driving drunk and asked if someone can come drive with him.
He told the dispatcher he had a 9-millimeter pistol with him and said, "I'm trying to kill myself on I-40."
Listen to the call now
The autopsy was performed two days after Smith died on Aug. 23 and completed Wednesday. It listed alcohol and depression as contributing factors in Smith's death.
Smith had commented to friends on the day he died and previously "about possible suicidal ideas," according to an accompanying narrative describing what investigators told medical examiners.
Smith's mother, Susan, told the News & Observer of Raleigh in August that "His best friend was with him at 2 a.m. and said he was fine." A message left with the Smith family Thursday was not returned.
Smith left a party that his fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon, had hosted around 12:30 a.m. on the morning he died. He was shot by an Archdale police officer just before 5 a.m., about 35 seconds after his car was stopped, according to police radio traffic.
Smith told a 911 dispatcher he was trying to kill himself and that he had a 9mm gun as he drove west along interstate highways from Chapel Hill, according to emergency tapes released in August. Archdale police stopped Smith on an Interstate 85 exit south of Greensboro. Officer Jeremy Paul Flinchum, 29, shot Smith after a confrontation, according to a police report.
When Smith's car came to a stop, police can be heard in the background shouting, "Stay in the car! Stay in the car!"
"I've got to pull something out, I've got to pull something out," Smith responded in a muffled voice.
The autopsy report's narrative said: "He got out of the car and made a suggestive move toward his pocket which the police interpreted as a move to get a gun. They then fired on him and he was hit in (the abdomen/chest) and dropped down."
The State Bureau of Investigation, which probes police shootings, continues to investigate, spokeswoman Jennifer Canada said Thursday.
A judge ruled late last month that dashboard video cameras mounted on the police cruisers at the scene did not have to be released to the public or media organizations.
