The man who is believed to be the first person ever killed by Highland Park police was shot in the back, according to an autopsy report released by the Dallas County medical examiner’s office.
The autopsy, which was first reported by The Dallas Morning News, also says Hartman had methamphetamine in his blood.
Hartman was shot the evening of June 4 in Park Cities Plaza, the shopping center on Mockingbird Lane near SMU. Less than two hours later, the town’s Department of Public Safety released a statement that said the two officers who had detained him returned fire after he shot at them first.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, to determine how the officers apparently missed Hartman’s gun and how he freed himself from a set of handcuffs. Because the case will go to a grand jury, Sgt. Lance Koppa, the town’s spokesman, declined to comment on the autopsy results.
Hartman’s family filed a lawsuit against the town in state district court on July 30. The case was transferred to federal court a month later because the family is claiming his constitutional rights were violated.
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