Cause of death released for man found hanging in Piedmont Park

ATLANTA — The Fulton County Medical Examiner has released the official cause of death for the

The report, obtained by Channel 2 Action News, states the official cause of death is asphyxiation by hanging, suicide is manner of death.

READ: Mayor asks FBI to look into death in Piedmont Park

According to the police report, an officer arrived at the park last Thursday morning in response to a call from a security officer who found a man hanging from a tree.

Upon examining the body, police said it appeared an African-American man had tied a white rope to a thick branch of a tree and then around his neck and hanged himself.

WATCH: Feds investigate death of man found hanging in Piedmont Park

Immediately after the death, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed asked the FBI to investigate the hanging after social media fueled speculation about how the man died.

According to the medical examiner, the victim has been identified as Michael George Smith Jr., 22, of New Jersey.

Cox Media Group