Autopsy: Teen who led Hollywood cops on chase died of injuries suffered in car crash

After leading Hollywood police on a car chase, 16-year-old Christopher Walls plowed a stolen car into a concrete pillar. Despite the severity of the crash, Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue paramedics examined and cleared him — and the teen was put into the back of a Hollywood police car.

More than two hours later, the paramedics had to rush back to the scene. Walls had collapsed while being moved to a Miami-Dade police car. They took him to Hialeah hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Now, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office has determined the official cause of death: Blunt force trauma suffered in the severe Nov. 14 crash near Liberty City.

While his death has been deemed an accident, the ruling is bound to increase scrutiny on how Miami-Dade paramedics, and Hollywood and Miami-Dade police, handled emergency care for the teen in the aftermath of the crash. His family believes that Walls should have been hospitalized immediately.

“The question remains would Chris have survived his injuries had he received immediate medical attention — and been transported to the hospital?” said Christine King, a Miami lawyer representing Walls’ family. “All parties involved had a duty to protect and preserve life. Chris was 16 years old. He did not deserve a death sentence.”

Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents, along with Miami-Dade prosecutors, are still investigating the death of Walls.

A spokeswoman for Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue, did not return multiple requests for comment. Earlier, she told the Herald that Walls claimed to be an adult and did not want to go to the hospital. “If they tell you an age, and refuse transport, at that point, we can’t force anyone to go to the hospital,” spokeswoman Erika Benitez said in January.

It was unclear Wednesday if the paramedics could face discipline for their role in the case.

Walls family could not be reached for comment. His family’s attorney did not return requests for comment.

The incident started on the night of Nov. 14, when police say Walls and another young man carjacked an Alfa Romeo at a Hollywood gas station. Later, police say, Walls led Hollywood officers on a car chase that ended when the Alfa Romeo spun out of control and crashed into the pillar in the Liberty City area.

As Hollywood police took him into custody, Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue received the 911 call for assistance from police at 9:36 p.m. According to records, firefighter paramedics arrived at 9:41 p.m., just minutes later. By 9:54, they had cleared the scene, according to a Fire-Rescue report.

A Miami-Dade police press release said fire-rescue “responded and treated the subject on the scene” — but did not detail what the treatment entailed.

But Walls sat in a Hollywood police car until officers brought the victim of the carjacking to identify him. As police tried to get Walls back in the Hollywood patrol car, he refused and was shot with a Taser stun gun before he was put back in the vehicle, according to a source with knowledge of the probe.

Later, as he was being moved into a Miami-Dade police car to go into that agency’s custody, he collapsed.

At 12:14 a.m. — more than two and a half hours after the crash — police again called 911 to summon Fire-Rescue. Walls was transported to Hialeah Hospital, where he died of his injuries. He suffered broken ribs, according to one source.

This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 1:44 PM.