The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE - Jefferson County's coroner and prosecutor are expressing concern over the fatal shooting by Louisville police of a handcuffed man, and questioning whether it was necessary.

James Edward Taylor, who was fatally shot by a detective Dec. 5, was struck by 11 bullets, some of which destroyed his vital organs, authorities said Friday. Taylor, 50, died within a minute of being shot, said Dr. Richard Greathouse, the Jefferson County coroner. Officials earlier had said that seven bullets hit Taylor.

"Today we went over the autopsy with Dr. Bill Ralston who did it, and he found a total of 11 wounds," Dr. Greathouse said. "Some of those were superficial and grazing wounds. So, there were a total of 12 (bullets) fired, but 11 of them hit Taylor and several of them were recovered from vital areas."

Dr. Ralston is a forensic pathologist for the state medical examiner's office.

The coroner said bullets were recovered from Mr. Taylor's heart, lungs, liver and spleen. Mr. Taylor was not shot in the head, Dr. Greathouse said.

Dr. Greathouse said it was the first time he can recall since being elected 29 years ago that police had "riddled with bullets" a suspect who was already handcuffed. "The circumstances are very troubling, to say the least," Dr. Greathouse said. "It is a really great cause for concern why this was necessary."

Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Stengel also said he was "devastated" by the shooting, which he expects will be presented to a grand jury after police investigations are concluded.

Police Chief Greg Smith has said that Detective Mike O'Neil fired 12 shots at the handcuffed Mr. Taylor after he threatened Officer O'Neil and Detective Brian Luckett with a box-cutter knife. Chief Smith said the detectives were unable to disarm or subdue Mr. Taylor, who had backed Officer O'Neil into the corner of Mr. Taylor's one-room apartment near downtown.

Offering the first public defense of Officer O'Neil, his lawyer, Steve Schroering, said, "Detective O'Neil was clearly in fear of his life at the time he fired and police are trained to fire until the threat is stopped."

Officer Luckett's lawyer, Scott C. Cox, declined to comment.

, Mr. Taylor was so severely injured that he would have died even if there had been an operating room next door, the coroner said.

He said he gave a copy of the preliminary autopsy report and a coroner's report to the FBI, which also is investigating Mr. Taylor's death.

The Rev. Louis Coleman, executive director of the Justice Resource Center, said the preliminary results show the shooting was "an execution of an individual with his hands behind his back. This was horrific."