An autopsy on the man shot by law enforcement officers at Burger King early Sunday morning isn’t expected to be completed before Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest.
According to Sampson County Medical Examiner Dr. Carl Barr, that autopsy will be performed at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill. Dr. Barr turned the case over to the state ME’s office, he said, because of the nature of the case.
“Due to the recent high profile of these type incidents, I believe it better serves the system if I turn this over to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office,” he noted in a telephone interview late Sunday afternoon. “After talking to those folks, and because of the high number of homicides, I understand it could be later this week, Tuesday or more likely Wednesday, before we can even expect a completed autopsy.”
Investigators have also not released the man’s identity, although sources say a wallet was found in the victim’s pocket.
Dr. Barr said he wasn’t sure if a positive ID had even been made yet.
Officers with the Clinton Police Department have been placed on administrative leave following the fatal shooting of the man.
According to a press release from Clinton Police Chief Jay Tilley, officers responded to a 911 call at the Burger King at 100 Southeast Blvd. at approximately 11:57 p.m. The call was placed by employees of the restaurant, asking for help. When officers arrived, Tilley said they found a male subject in a truck in the parking lot, armed with a shotgun.
“Responding officers, including a trooper from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, cordoned off the parking lot and attempted to negotiate with the subject to surrender,” Tilley stated in the release. “The male subject did not respond to the officer’s commands to put the weapon down.”
According to Tilley, the unidentified subject pointed the shotgun at the officers, who returned fire, fatally striking the man. The male subject was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been determined at this time. There were no injury to the officers.
“The Clinton Police Department has requested the State Bureau of Investigation to conduct an investigation in the details of the shooting,” Tilley said. “The Department’s Internal Affair Unit will also conduct an administrative investigation into the shooting. All officers involved have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of these investigations.”
Tilley said as other information surfaced, he would make it available to The Independent.