LELAND, Miss. (WJTV) – An autopsy report has been released for the 17-year-old who was allegedly hit by a Leland patrol car and later died at a hospital.

According to Attorney Ben Crump, the autopsy showed that Kadarius Smith’s death was caused by blunt-force trauma.

Crump said Smith was hit by the patrol car in the early morning hours of March 21 when he was walking home with friends. Witnesses said the patrol cruiser began chasing Smith.

“These autopsy findings document the cruel and tragic way that Kadarius left us – with his head crushed under the immense weight of a police cruiser. This young boy had his whole life ahead of him, a life that his family will now mourn forever. The Leland police officers who were involved in Kadarius’s death need to be held accountable for their deadly actions. There is no circumstance where running over another human being with a car to the point of crushing their head is justifiable,” said Crump and co-counsel Van Turner.

Leland is in the flatlands of cotton and soybean country and has a population of about 3,900. It is about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northwest of Mississippi’s capital city of Jackson.

Josh Bogen, an attorney for the city, previously said officers were responding to a call about an assault in progress. He could not confirm if Smith was a suspect.

Bogen said it was an “accident” that the vehicle struck Smith.

“The idea that the police officer purposely ran over the alleged victim is a complete absurdity,” Bogen told the Associated Press.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.