Anthony McClain Autopsy Report Not Expected Until October at Earliest

An autopsy report for Anthony McClain, who was killed in an Aug. 15 officer-involved shooting in Pasadena, is not expected to be released for weeks, or potentially months, pending the completion of forensic testing, coroner’s officials said.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner has determined McClain died from a gunshot wound to his torso and ruled the death a homicide. But a full autopsy report, which provides a much greater level of detail regarding the findings of the investigators, is pending.

“According to DMEC procedure, homicide deaths require toxicology testing,” according to agency spokesperson Sarah Ardalani. “Results typically take between 60 to 90 days and the office does not release reports to the public until all testing is complete.”

McClain, 32, was shot and killed after running from a traffic stop in which he had been the passenger in a car pulled over near La Pintoresca Park for not displaying a front license plate.

Pasadena police said McClain pulled a gun from his waistband as he ran and looked back toward a pursuing officer, prompting the officer to open fire.

Attorneys representing McClain’s family have maintained that he was unarmed. They argued that officers mistook McClain’s belt buckle for a gun and that a pistol found by officers at the scene, which police said McClain threw after being shot, was not his.

The results of a DNA analysis of the gun found at the shooting scene were expected by the end of September, police said.

Meanwhile, a series of simultaneous investigations continue.

“Even two weeks after the shooting, there’s still a lot of work to be done,” said Pasadena police Lt. William Grisafe.

The criminal investigation of the case is being handled by the Pasadena Police Department’s Homicide-Assault Unit, Grisafe said. They are tasked with investigating the shooting from a legal standpoint.

An internal administrative investigation, in which officials will determine whether involved officers acted within policy, is also proceeding.

The officer who fired on McClain, who has not been identified by the city, has been placed on leave amid the ongoing investigations, officials said.

The city also plans to hire an outside firm to conduct an independent investigation, Grisafe said.

As is the case in all police shootings in Los Angeles County, the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office has also launched its own probe, dispatching investigators to the scene the night of the shooting, authorities said.

Prosecutors will ultimately review the findings to determine whether the shooting was justified, or whether charges may be warranted.

The results of the District Attorney’s Office’s investigation will be published on the agency’s website at da.lacounty.gov/reports/ois. The process can take many months, or even years, to complete.