Memphis police officer Sean Bolton was shot eight times last year on a Parkway Village street, and one of the bullets to his thigh pierced an artery killing him, according to Shelby County Medical Examiner Dr. Marco Ross.

Ross took the stand on Day 5 of the death penalty trial of Tremaine Wilbourn, the man charged with shooting and killing Bolton.

Ross, who has been with the medical examiner’s office for 12 years, told the court that retired Medical Examiner Karen Chancellor conducted the autopsy on Bolton.

Ross referenced the 31-page autopsy report to explain to jurors the extent of the injuries to Bolton. He said Bolton had gunshot wounds to numerous areas of his body including his face, arms, legs, chest and hand. 

“The manner of death was certified as a homicide and the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds,” Ross testified.

One of the bullets ripped across Bolton’s chin, fractured his jaw, knocked out some of his teeth and then traveled to his left shoulder. This was a serious and painful injury, but it was not the shot that killed him, Ross explained to prosecutor Alanda Dwyer.

He said the bullet he labeled No. 6 caused the fatal injury to Bolton when it entered the upper part of his left thigh, pierced a main artery, and lodged in his spine.

“So if there was previous testimony that the defendant was seen pointing the gun and backing away from Sean Bolton the trajectory of bullets six and seven would be consistent with Sean Bolton being on the ground when he was shot?” Dwyer asked Ross.

Ross replied, “If he was in a face down position it would be consistent with that scenario you described.”

Authorities said Wilbourn shot Bolton after the officer approached an illegally parked Mercedes-Benz in the 4800 block of Summerlane in the area of Cottonwood and South Perkins on Aug. 1, 2015.

The driver of the car fled after Bolton shined a spotlight in the car. Wilbourn, who was a passenger, was being detained by Bolton when the two scuffled.

Otagar Jones, a resident who lives on the street where the shooting happened, testified earlier this week that he saw Wilbourn firing shots toward the officer as he was backing away in the middle of the street.

Under cross examination, defense attorney Juni Ganguli quizzed the medical examiner about the distance of the shots fired on the night Bolton was killed.

“Would you agree with me that there is no way to definitively tell where Sean Bolton was and where Mr. Wilbourn was when the shoots were fired,” Ganguli asked Ross.

Ross answered: “There are a number of different positions that are possible.”

Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich and Memphis Police Deputy Chief Michael Shearin were in the courtroom to hear the medical examiner's testimony. Neither spoke to the media as they left the courtroom.

The court also heard from Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Cervinia Braswell, who is a firearms expert. She testified that the bullets that killed Bolton came from only one gun – a 9 mm – and not two. Authorities did not present the gun Wilbourn is accused of shooting Bolton with during court proceedings on Friday.

Earlier Friday, jurors heard testimony from MPD crime scene officers and forensic experts who testified about finding DNA evidence including fingerprints that showed Wilbourn was at the scene the night of the shooting.

Memphis Crime Scene Sgt. Michael Coburn testified about processing the 2002 Mercedes-Benz that Wilbourn was a passenger in the night he is accused of shooting and killing Bolton.

Christopher Sanders, a 21-year veteran with the Memphis Police Department, testified he was working with the Crime Scene and was assigned to go to the hospital to photograph and collect Bolton’s clothes and his equipment, which included the officer’s Sig Sauer .40-caliber gun.

“Was the gun fully loaded?” prosecutor Dwyer asked Sanders.

He replied, “It was. It had not been fired.”

This ties into earlier testimony this week from neighbors on the street, who said that they did not see Bolton fire his gun during his encounter with Wilbourn. Two witnesses testified they saw Wilbourn fire his gun. 

Wilbourn fled after the shooting and carjacked a man less than a mile from where Bolton was shot, authorities with MPD testified.

Memphis police officer W.D. Merritt testified Thursday that the 2002 Honda Accord Wilbourn later pleaded guilty to carjacking was found by police at the Bent Tree Apartments where the defendant’s girlfriend lived.

A video of the stolen car was shown to jurors and showed a Honda coming through entrance of the complex in the 3400 block of Briar Place, off of Winchester. 

Merritt testified that he took photographs inside the apartment and showed a picture of Wilbourn that had been put on the refrigerator. 

Wilbourn was not at the apartment when police went there the night of the shooting on Aug. 1. He was not arrested until two days later when he turned himself in to authorities at the federal building in Downtown Memphis.

U.S. Marshal Owen Woods said he took part in the search for Wilbourn. He testified after Wilbourn turned himself that he patted him down and helped take him into custody.

“I observed no injuries, he made no indication that he was hurt and made no indication of that,” Woods said. He said Wilbourn went quietly with authorities.

Jury selection began on Monday and the state has called 25 witnesses so far during the trial.

The trial continues at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.