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Autopsy shows inmate not beaten: medical examiner


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An autopsy showed an inmate who died Saturday after being admitted to jail Friday was not beaten to death, a state assistant medical examiner said Monday.

Inmate Andron R. Reed, 18, of Memphis, was arrested Friday afternoon on multiple charges after a high-speed pursuit with state troopers, one who described him as being “extremely high.”

Reed was admitted during the weekend to Middle Tennessee Medical Center where he died Saturday.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents, who are probing his death, questioned witnesses.

Dr. Amy McMaster, assistant state medical examiner, performed an autopsy on Reed’s body.

Cause of death is pending further studies for his blood and his tissue.

“He had some minor trauma that would be consistent with a struggle,” McMaster said. “He had no major trauma and did not die from trauma. He was not beaten to death.”

McMaster also intends to review video footage from the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center and any of Reed’s available medical records.

“I anticipate it will be 10 to 12 weeks,” McMaster said. “It could be sooner but that is an estimate.”

State Safety spokesman Mike Browning said Reed was driving Friday afternoon when Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Michael Cummins found him traveling 86 mph in a 70 mph zone of Interstate 24 near the Almaville Road exit. Cummins got in pursuit of Reed.

State Trooper Michael Morgan joined the pursuit near the South Church Street exit.

Cummins’ arrest warrant obtained Friday night against Reed stated he refused to stop.

“He continued traveling at a high rate of speed and ran several vehicles out of their lane of travel,” Cummins reported.

Reed left the roadway near the Buchanan Road exit.

“When the driver came back onto the roadway, he struck the right side of a (commercial motor vehicle) trailer occupied by John Martino, the driver, and Vicenta Cruz, the passenger,” Cummins reported. “The driver traveled back off of the roadway to the right and came to a final rest.”

Reed and his brother, Artavius R. Reed, a passenger, fled on foot. After a brief pursuit, they were both apprehended.

“Andron was extremely high,” Cummins stated. “His eyes were bloodshot and his speech was slurred. Andron resisted arrest by biting both (Cummins) and THP Trooper Michael Morgan.”

Cummins charged him with two counts of felony evading arrest, two counts of felony reckless endangerment, DUI, resisting arrest and assault of Cummins and Morgan. Cummins charged his brother with resisting arrest.



 
 
 
Tagged under  Adult Detention Center, Andron Reed, Inmate death


Member Opinions:
By: mr.right on 8/17/09
good job RCSO jailers. Now hopefully when the blood work gets back everyone will quite calling you murderers.

By: BoroHank on 8/17/09
Keep up the good work RCSO DEPUTIES. The boro is behind you 100%.

By: MboroBlueEyes on 8/18/09
Good job RCSO & thank you for the quick and accurate reporting Mboro Post. It's a horrible situation for all involved, but it is good to hear that policy was followed and our men and women in blue were doing their job as it should have been done.

By: archosignis on 8/18/09
Great job RCSO, and thank you Post for some quality, non-sensationalistic reporting. The DNJ and WSMV were all 'reporting' the crap story his mother told about Reed's brother hearing him being beaten and such. It sounds like it was the drugs that killed this guy, but I'll wait for the M.E. report. I know the cronies at the DNJ are disappointed though, they always love a good bashing of the RCSO.

By: bota on 8/18/09
Another blow to the DNJs credibility.

By: spook on 8/18/09
The DNJ has credibility????

By: Dave42 on 8/19/09
Back when I was living in Murfreesboro we called it the Daily Newsless Journal. It was the only local paper in town. Got more local stuff from the Tenneseean and the Banner.

By: SocEtTuem on 8/19/09
Am I missing something here? A man is dead and everyone is patting the RCSO on the back as if it is something to celebrate. Why wasn't this guy checked out by a medical professional (and I don't mean an EMT) if he was so far out of it? Is that beyond reasonable and prudent?

I'm not defending the DNJ (which is not a local paper anymore but rather owned by Gannet) but I am questioning the celebratory tone here.

By: Farmall on 8/19/09
I think they are celebrating that he wasn't beaten to death by the police or the guards, this time.

By: MboroBlueEyes on 8/19/09
When you sign a refusal of treatment for an EMT they don't take you to the hospital. It is dangerous for the people at the hospital to have someone there who is being forced. They don't make you go unless you obviously need emergency treatment- which it sounds like he didn't appear that injured just very much under the influence.

By: mr.right on 8/21/09
nobody is celebrating his death, just the fact that all the RCSO bashers who claimed this man was murdered were wrong.

By: moneyface901 on 8/22/09
This is really bringing tears to my eyes, this was my friend I went to his funeral today he did not die of natural causes we played ball evey day and suddendly when he comes to murfreesboro his health becomes bad over night, come on man if thats not a cover up Im not an African American, They were supposed to protect and serve, But they had the nerve, God will take his turn and soon they will burn, Man I just say its in Gods hands now and I pray that Justice is served its wrong, its totally wrong. He had no weapon, so why????? WaS IT BECAUSE OF HIS RACE, HIS HAIR, HE GRADUATED WITH HONORS, ONLY 18, HAD DREAMS, GOALS, A FAMILY. IT HURTS TO SEE HOW SOCIETY SEE'S THINGS, IN MY PERSPECTIVE WE ARE GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT.

By: What on 8/26/09
moneyface901 did you ever consider that your friend may have gotten himself into some things he shouldn't have. Lets see he was running from the Highway Patrol at over 100 miles an hour while intoxicated, not to mention he hit another vehicle. What if that vehicle was a van full of children. O.k maybe your friend swallowed some drugs, we will not know until the investigation is over. What we do know is that he was not miss treated or "beaten" by the officers. As for the race card come on i'm tired of hearing this crap. Until this is sorted out don't make it seem the police are the bad guys remember your friend was not that innocent. I am not trying to make anyone mad but just get your facts straight before posting.

By: moneyface901 on 9/25/09
@ what its ok for u to say that because you werent there, u hear from sites and postings of what occured I know the truth, God knows it too, and murfreesboro does have a lot of racist people there, majority white, u say you are tried of hearing things about race well guess what buddy it still lives, its real and it hurts.

By: amber190 on 1/2/10
So excited to come across this, I myself went to jail for a few days and heard from more than 10 inmates that this 18 year old was beaten and they all heard it, I do not see why they would lie, My celly heard the crying , she cried as she told me and it touched my heart. noone deserves to be beaten to death because of race or anything, for those of you who do not know what it going on stfu, seriously , you were not there and may god finish this mess and he will,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


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