(Albuquerque Journal) The homeless man shot and killed in the Sandia Foothills in mid-March was shot three times, including in the lower-left back, and had no illegal drugs in his system, according to an autopsy and toxicology report released by the Office of the Medical Investigator on Thursday.
James Boyd was seen on helmet-cam video as officers tried to coax him out of the foothills for camping illegally. He brandished two small knives at officers but appeared to surrender and begin walking down the hill when officers shot at him.
The video sparked national and international outrage and provided a rallying cry for a series of protests against the Albuquerque Police Department amid a federal investigation that found APD has a pattern of excessive force and unconstitutional policing.
The 30-page autopsy said Boyd suffered three gunshot wounds from separate bullets, but the one to his lower back seems to be the most destructive: A bullet passed through the muscle in his lower stomach, his left adrenal gland, his large intestine, spleen, diaphragm and left lung before exiting his left armpit. The bullet then re-entered his upper left arm.
The other bullets struck Boyd’s arm, including one in his upper right arm that entered from the front and another on his left arm that entered from the back and exited the front, according to the autopsy.
The report also said Boyd suffered several blunt-force injuries and contusions on his buttock and right leg, some of which were “consistent with injuries produced by a dog”.
In addition to documenting the injuries, medical investigators found that Boyd appeared older than his stated age and that he had no illegal drugs in his system.
Among the items investigators associated with Boyd were clothes, a toothbrush and a Bible. They also pulled Taser prongs from his clothing, according to the report.