Authorities in Jonesboro, Ark., are continuing their investigation into the death of a Southaven man whom they say fatally shot himself while sitting in the back of a patrol car.
The Jonesboro Sun newspaper reports that Chavis Chacobie Carter shot himself Saturday night. Carter, 21, had been picked up on a felony warrant from Mississippi.
The bench warrant was issued by DeSoto County Circuit Court for contempt of court when Carter violated the terms of his three-year probation, according to court records.
Carter, whose address according to court records is the 8800 block of Sweet Flag Loop in Southaven, was arrested and charged in 2010 for two counts of sale of a controlled substance, marijuana. He was indicted on the charges by a DeSoto County grand jury in January 2011.
According to DeSoto County Circuit Court records, Carter pleaded guilty to one count on Aug. 31, 2011.
He received a non-adjudicated sentence, which allows first-time nonviolent defendants to complete certain conditions to avoid having a conviction on their record. Carter was ordered to successfully complete three years of probation and pay $100 a month for $2,154.50 in court costs assessments. He also was ordered to report for drug tests and pay drug testing fees.
Jonesboro Police Chief Mike Yates says his department is conducting an internal investigation after the death.
A police report says Carter was in the back of a patrol car with his hands cuffed behind his back when officers discovered he'd been shot. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Copyright 2012 - The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
