NEW ORLEANS, La. - Mayor Ray Nagin and Police Superintendent Warren Riley say they welcome an FBI investigation into the police shooting that took the life of a local man on New Year’s Day.

WWLTV

Adolph Grimes died after being hit more than a dozen times by undercover NOPD officers who claim that Grimes fired at them first.

Police said they approached Grimes’ vehicle because it resembled one reported in a shooting earlier in the evening.

Riley and the Coroner’s Office are at odds over how many shots hit Grimes in the back. Coroner Frank Minyard said that a dozen of the shots hit Grimes in the back, with Riley saying he was shot mainly in the front and side.

At the request of Grimes family, the FBI has decided to launch a civil rights investigation.

“I think the FBI should investigate,” said Riley. “The family certainly has that right. We want the absolute truth and the facts to come out and if the FBI adds to that, we welcome it.”

“I think it’s appropriate,” added Nagin. “There seems to be some question about what happened and there was a call by the family for an independent look at this and we welcome that.”

The family plans to discuss the incident in a press conference Tuesday afternoon along with the NAACP.