The mother of an African-American man who died while handcuffed in the back of a police vehicle in Arkansas is demanding justice for her son. Twenty-one-year-old Chavis Carter was detained on Saturday after allegedly being found with marijuana. Police say he was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police cruiser, at which point he accidentally shot himself in the back of the head while reaching for a gun. In an interview, Carter’s mother, Teresa Carter, cast doubt on the police’s claims.

Teresa Carter: “I think they killed him. I mean, my son wasn’t suicidal. They searched him twice. I mean, I just want to know what really happened.”

Carter’s mother says the police’s account is further questionable because he was shot through the right temple despite being left-handed. Shortly before his death, Carter had phoned his girlfriend to tell her he would contact her from jail.