Aug 28, 2014 10:49 AM by KATC

Coroner: Alleged statement White made before he died determined manner of death

A deciding factor in determining the cause of death for Victor White III was a single statement White allegedly made before he was placed into a police unit in March, according to the full report from the Iberia Parish Coroner.

The coroner initially had only released one page of the autopsy, but the lawyer for White's family has since released the full report to The Huffington Post.

According to Coroner Carl Ditch's report, White allegedly said "he was gone" or something similar before he was placed into the patrol car.

Ditch says in the report that the cause of death for White is a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the right chest, but notes that "the manner of death is more problematic given it is based on the decedent's intent, i.e. whether he intended to shoot himself, or the firearm accidentally discharged while he was manipulating it under awkward circumstances."

A toxicology screen showed White had alcohol and marijuana in his system when he died.

State Police issued a release in March that said deputies were called to investigate a fight in the 300 block of Lewis Street and found White was allegedly in possession of narcotics.

Deputies handcuffed White and took him to the Sheriff's Office for processing, but said White refused to exit the car when they arrived. State Police also said in their initial report that while the deputy was requesting assistance, White produced a handgun and shot himself once in the back.

White was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

White's family and his family's attorney, Carol Powell-Lexing, reject coroner's autopsy report.

Lexing announced Wednesday that the family will get an independent review of the autopsy from New York forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, the same doctor who performed an independent autopsy of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

The fatal shooting of Brown by a police officer sparked riots and unrest that made national headlines for weeks.

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