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Autopsy report released in Memphis man's death in police custody

Courtney Ross died after interactions with MPD officers in 2023, autopsy reports revealed his cause of death.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Autopsy results for Courtney Ross, 19, list his cause of death as a combination of complications of cocaine, methamphetamine and ethanol toxicity and environmental heat exposure.

Ross died in August 2023 after an interaction with Memphis Police Department officers in Midtown, behind an apartment complex off of Madison Avenue.

A property owner made a call to MPD about Ross going through boxes that may have contained rat poison. Other nearby residents made calls about Ross looking into cars and going through mailboxes. 

Ross ran from police when they arrived on scene, MPD said. When officers apprehended him, they placed him in the back of the squad car. After noticing he was short of breath, they called for an ambulance which transported him to a hospital where he would later die, according to MPD.

The involved officers have been placed on leave.

Ross's family retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing several family members of those who have died during interactions with area law enforcement agencies.

The medical examiner's report also lists Ross's sickle cell trait as another significant condition. The report also notes that Ross had a core body temperature of 102.56 degrees.

"Per available weather data, to include information obtained from the National Weather Service, the ambient temperature was up to 94 degrees Fahrenheit with a heat index of 106 degrees Fahrenheit," the report reads. "Mr. Ross was wearing a dark colored long-sleeved shirt and pants and was physically exerting himself during the pursuit.

"The environmental and physical factors, in combination with the presence of stimulants in his bloodstream, all likely contributed to his hyperthemic state."

Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said during a June 11, 2024 press conference that no charges would be filed in Ross's death against MPD officers.

"In part that was because of the autopsy results," Mulroy said during the press conference. "The officers did check on him regularly. There wasn't any gross neglect happening. He was restrained appropriately. He was detained appropriately. They were trying to get an ambulance to come.

"I do think law enforcement acted appropriately at every stage."

    

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