A medical examiner has determined Mario Woods, the 26-year-old shot and killed in December by five San Francisco officers, had marijuana, meth, cough syrup and anti-depressants in his system when he died.
Woods’ autopsy results were released Thursday afternoon, two months after he was shot to death in the Bayview. Police say Woods stabbed a person and was holding an 8-inch knife when officers opened fire.
The autopsy results confirmed Woods had 21 bullet wounds in his body and the bullets came from five different handguns. Those wounds were in his abdomen, back, thighs, and arms – and two in his head.
"It's unconscionable how many shots were fired," said attorney John Burris, who is representing Woods' family. "There's only one shot in the front. All the rest are in the back."
Burris has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit claiming excessive force.
The medical examiner's report also details injuries caused by the non-lethal bean bags officers fired while trying to get Woods to drop the knife.
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Several bystanders filmed the shooting, and their videos circulated online widely.
The shooting of Woods has sparked numerous protests calling for the firing of San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr and the prosecution of the officers involved.
Police have said officers fired because Woods was an armed stabbing suspect, who was behaving unusually and began to walk toward a gathering crowd.
Burris agrees with the facts of the case, but said Woods was never a threat to the officers or the crowd. Burris also said officers could have contained the situation without firing their weapons.
"I recognize he was under the influence and didn't respond the way officers thought he should," Burris said. "In my view that's a tactical question."
San Francisco police spokeswoman Grace Gatpandan said in a statement Thursday afternoon, "The autopsy report appears to corroborate facts gathered by investigators in the aftermath of this tragic incident. The department is committed to a thorough review of the shooting and this report will be an important component of all three ongoing independent investigations."