An autopsy found 14 gunshot wounds in the body of Roger Heard Jr., who was killed by Chattanooga police officers in August.
Two wounds were found in Heard's head, according to a report released by the Hamilton County medical examiner Monday. The examiner's office ruled his death a homicide by gunshot wounds.
Heard, 34, was killed after officers in plain clothes and unmarked cars attempted to stop him on warrants at a Chattanooga gas station Aug. 11. An officer was also hit in the exchange of gunfire and has returned to duty.
Heard was taken to Erlanger Medical Center's emergency room, where he was pronounced dead at 10:22 p.m. that night, according to the report.
An investigation into the shooting is still underway, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The medical examiner's report shows Heard may have had caffeine and cotinine, which comes from tobacco, in his system at the time of his death. Tests for other drugs were negative, according to the report.
In addition to the shots to his head, Heard sustained three shots to his back, four to his pelvis, two to his abdomen and three to his left arm and hand, according to the report. Several fragment wounds were found on his back, and blunt force injuries were recorded on his elbows and the right side of his lower body.
Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp said in a statement that Heard was "committing a litany of felony offenses" at the time of the shooting. According to Wamp, Heard was carrying approximately one pound of marijuana in his car and allegedly planned to make a drug deal at the gas station.
Heard's family believes the officers used excessive force by continuing to shoot Heard after he fell to the ground and no longer had a gun, attorneys for the family told the media during a news conference last week. Attorneys said that kind of force has been found to be unconstitutional in federal appeals courts.
Three Chattanooga officers — Celtain Batterson, who was shot, Nicholas Ayres and Christopher Dyess — were placed on paid administrative leave for their involvement in the shooting, and are all back at work.
Contact Ellen Gerst at egerst@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6319.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Adrian and Gloria Lewis look on as Jonathan Grunberg speaks during a news conference on the steps of City Hall on Wednesday.