On July 28, Chavis Carter was shot in the temple while sitting in the back of a squad car. Though police said they searched him twice and had him handcuffed behind his back, they nevertheless maintain that he committed suicide. We demand an independent investigation, so that the truth can be determined without predjudice.
Dear Chief Yates,
On July 28, 2012, Chavis Carter was shot in the temple while sitting, handcuffed, in the back of a squad car. As you know, your officers maintain that Carter shot himself, but the basic facts of the story call that story into question.
It is possible that your officers are telling the truth, but frankly, an internal investigation is not likely to convince many people, especially given the unfortunate history of race relations in the South. We ask that you support an independent inquiry into this shooting, so that the truth can be ascertained without predjudice, so that the report can be trusted by all parties, and so that justice can be served.
