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State Police submit findings on Victor White III investigation

by Patrick Flanagan

Louisiana State Police has submitted the findings of its investigation into the in-custody death of Victor White III to the 16th Judicial District Attorney's Office.

Louisiana State Police has submitted the findings of its investigation into the in-custody death of Victor White III to the 16th Judicial District Attorney's Office.

District Attorney Phil Haney, in an interview with The Daily Iberian, says he received the report from State Police on Friday and is awaiting word from the U.S. Department of Justice, which is also investigating the strange circumstances behind White's death in the back of an Iberia Parish Sheriff's cruiser on March 2.

"We will coordinate and work together with them to hopefully produce the same facts and truth," Haney says. "We welcome additional input. Our goal is to make sure the most thorough investigation can be done."

Iberia Sheriff Louis Ackal also weighed in on White's death, issuing a statement Friday saying he supported the "FBI's investigation of the incident."

White's story has gained national attention in recent weeks with the attention surrounding Michael Brown's death at the hands of a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, as well as the recent release of his autopsy report by the Iberia Parish Coroner's Office. The autopsy has raised a number of serious questions on the account given by deputies present on the night of White's death, namely their claim that the 22-year-old New Iberian shot himself in the back while handcuffed behind his back. According to the autopsy, White died from a single bullet wound to the chest.

White's family has retained legal counsel from Monroe attorney Carol Powell Lexing of the 2007 Jena Six case, as well as Tallahassee attorney Ben Crump of the Trayvon Martin case. Crump is also representing the family of Michael Brown.

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