Autopsy sheds new light on deadly officer-involved shooting

We're learning new details tonight regarding the officer-involved shooting of a Cottonwood teenager. For weeks his loved ones have searched for answers and tonight they may be closer to learning what happened.

For Ebin Proctor's family, his death has been shrouded in mystery. This week, Yavapai County released Proctor's autopsy, which is a critical piece of evidence that explains what may have happened.

It was 4:00 a.m., no witnesses around, no video recording of what happened…

The Yavapai County Sheriff's deputy who shot and killed the unarmed teenager told investigators that he feared for his life.

"That officer can say whatever he wants and no one can say… the only other thing people heard was the gun shots, so he can say whatever he wants."

But the newly released autopsy on Proctor's body could help fill in the gaps, according to Dr. Philip Keen, an independent medical examiner.

Keen did not perform the autopsy, but he reviewed the county medical examiner's autopsy report and he says Proctor's body had seven gunshot wounds.

"These are gunshot wounds, which are close," says Keen. "Most of them centered on the back of [the] head and neck."

According to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, Proctor ran from deputies after he and his friends were stopped for a traffic violation in Cottonwood.

Deputy Steven Gorman chased Proctor to a nearby backyard; and according to investigators, Proctor attacked the deputy and reached for the deputy's gun.

That's when the deputy shot Proctor several times.

Dr. Keen says it appears the autopsy and the deputy's account line up.

"Consistent with narrative."

Keen says Proctor was shot once in the front-- the rest in the back...

"If you had some wounds that were consistent with defensive posturing of the victim then you would ask more questions."

Keen says Proctor had meth, cocaine and marijuana in his system. Still, Keen says, the autopsy doesn't tell the whole story.

"We don't have any way of telling the sequencing of shots."

The Arizona Department of Public Safety is investigating the shooting and should be releasing their findings in the next few weeks.

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