Body Camera Footage Clears Black Teen Of Attempted Murder — Now He's Suing Indianapolis And An Officer

An 18-year-old has filed a lawsuit against the City of Indianapolis and an IMPD officer after being cleared of felony charges alleging he pointed a gun at police.

Details on the lawsuit and what Dailen Brewer was charged with

Dailen Brewer, represented by his attorney Terrance Kinnard, filed the complaint on July 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division.

According to the lawsuit, Sgt. Robyn Frazier falsely accused Brewer of pointing a firearm at her during an April 12 traffic stop at Riverside Park.

Brewer was arrested on four felony charges, including attempted murder. Frazier recommended charges of attempted murder, resisting law enforcement while drawing a deadly weapon, intimidation of a public servant and two counts of pointing a firearm. However, prosecutors later dropped all charges after body camera footage did not support the officer’s allegations in her sworn probable cause affidavit, according to the complaint and WTHR.

Due to the serious nature of the charges, especially the Level 1 felony charge of attempted murder, Brewer was unable to post bond. He remained detained in the Marion County Adult Detention Center for four days until the evening of April 16, 2026, when a Marion County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney dismissed all charges.

According to the lawsuit, the arresting officer fabricated evidence and made false statements about what happened, resulting in Brewer’s arrest and prosecution. It also claims the officer violated the 18-year-old’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights by arresting him without probable cause, according to the lawsuit.

Brewer is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorney’s fees, court costs, and other relief. According to the complaint, he alleges the arrest and prosecution caused him to lose his liberty, spend four days in jail, suffer emotional distress and humiliation, damage his reputation, and lose employment and business opportunities.

What happened during the April 12 traffic stop?

The teen was lawfully transporting firearms when he drove into Riverside Park on April 12. He noticed two IMPD vehicles parked near the entrance but said there were no officers outside and nothing indicating the park was closed or blocked. After he drove into the park and parked, Frazier allegedly followed him to his parking space, per the complaint.

Frazier walked up to Brewer’s vehicle, looked inside and opened the driver’s side door. At the time, Brewer had his hands up while his guns were on the floor and between his legs, the lawsuit said. As Frazier tried to remove him from the car, the car started moving because it was still in gear. When Brewer tried to put the vehicle in park, Frazier pulled out her service gun and pointed it at Brewer and his front-seat passenger, who also had his hands up.

Brewer was then taken out of the car and arrested. According to the complaint, Frazier later wrote in a sworn statement that Brewer pointed a revolver at her before dropping it and raising his hands. Brewer denies that story, saying he kept his hands up the whole time and never touched a gun while Frazier was there.

Brewer’s attorney speaks out about the incident and how it impacted his client

Kinnard said the body camera footage tells a different story.

“Within about a minute, they’re approached by a female officer who’s giving loud commands. As she does, Mr. Brewer and his companion both raise their hands, literally touching the ceiling inside the vehicle,” Kinnard told WTHR. “Not only did it cause him to be arrested and spend all of that time in jail, but you also literally put this man’s entire life in jeopardy. Because without that camera, who knows what the outcome of this case would have been.”

He also stated that the incident has fundamentally changed Brewer despite his respect for law enforcement.

“He’s someone who believes in authority, has a high respect for law enforcement. After all of this has transpired, obviously that has had a huge impact, and I think that’s probably the saddest outcome of all this,” he said.

Kinnard hopes Brewer’s lawsuit sends a message that police officers should be held accountable for their actions, especially those that result in false accusations.

“We just want to make sure when you do your job, you do your job properly, and certainly, inventing false allegations against a law-abiding citizen is certainly not acceptable by any standard,” Kinnard said.