Attorney General Eric Holder has authorized a second autopsy of Michael Brown, the unarmed African American teenager shot to death by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9.

"Due to the extraordinary circumstances involved in this case and at the request of the Brown family, Attorney General Holder has instructed Justice Department officials to arrange for an additional autopsy to be performed by a federal medical examiner," Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon said in a Sunday statement. "This independent examination will take place as soon as possible. Even after it is complete, Justice Department officials still plan to take the state-performed autopsy into account in the course of their investigation."

Brown's family had asked the Justice Department to oversee a second autopsy in order to ensure objectivity. According to the Associated Press, the family has put funeral arrangements on hold until a second autopsy can be performed.

Preliminary results of the first autopsy showed that Brown had died of gunshot wounds. However, the report did not specify the number of times Brown was shot.