Update (November 11, 2020): An Indiana officer who shot and killed 21-year-old Dreasjon "Sean" Reed after a car chase earlier this year will not face criminal charges. According to WTHR, prosecutor Rosemary Khoury announced the grand jury’s decision on Tuesday, detailing the outcome in favor of officer Dejoure Mercer, the Black deputy who killed the young Black man.

“The special grand jury returned a no bill,” Khoury said. “This term means there is insufficient evidence to indict or accuse officer Dejoure Mercer of a crime.” 

Reed’s family attorney said the young man didn’t bring an immediate threat to the officer or anyone else. But investigators came to a different conclusion after reviewing Reed's Facebook Live video, along with other sources of evidence.

According to police, it’s not clear who shot first, but Reed fired twice at the officer. Investigators added that two of the shell casings at the scene matched Reed's gun. In addition, officers said the evidence suggested that the young man was facing toward the officer when he was shot. 

As Blavity previously reported, Reed started streaming the incident during the chase on May 6 and continued recording until his final moments. 

“Somebody come get my stupid a*s. Please, come get me," he said in the video. "I just parked this motherf****r. I'm gone."

Gunshots were heard after the young Black man stopped his car and tried to run. After Reed fell to the ground, the camera captured audio from one of the officers at the scene who made a crude joke.

"I think it's going to be a closed casket, homie," the detective can he heard saying.

Khoury was overcome with emotion as she announced the decision during the press conference on Tuesday. 

"This has not been an easy task and it’s been a very heavy burden," she said. “I have to believe that justice was done because I trust our system. I trust our judicial system. I put this in the hands of a special grand jury. I presented them with what I thought was a very thorough, comprehensive investigation that my team put together. And I have to believe in the system.” 

According to NPR, demonstrators came together during the summer to demand justice for Reed. The protesters once again gathered in downtown Indianapolis after the grand jury's decision on Tuesday. 

Reed’s grieving family held a press conference in June, on the day that would have been his 22nd birthday.

"We talked about how this day was supposed to go. But I can't stand here with him because he was taken away from me," Demetree Wynn, Reed's mother, said. "Now he's flying away and I can't bring him back. For 21 years I got to hug my son, and on his 22nd I can't.”

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett shared his condolences with the family.

“Today my thoughts are with the family of Dreasjon Reed, who continue to grieve the loss of a son, a brother, and a friend,” the mayor said. “The events that led to the death of Mr. Reed have forced our community to confront the loss of this young life and have raised understandable questions produced by centuries of racism and mistrust.”

The NAACP also released a statement after the jury’s decision, saying there are no winners in the tragic circumstance.

“The Greater Indianapolis Branch of the NAACP asks for peace in the community as Special Prosecutor Rosemary Khoury and the grand jury concludes the Reed investigation by issuing no charges,” the organization stated. “We, like Prosecutor Khoury, believe there are no winners in this tragic circumstance. The Branch appreciates the transparency of the investigation and giving the community as close to a full disclosure as permitted by the law.” 

Original (May 18, 2020): An Indiana detective who was caught joking about a “closed casket” for a man who was killed by police gunfire has been suspended and reassigned.

The unnamed officer’s comments were recorded on a Facebook Live stream from Dreasjon “Sean” Reed’s page. Reed died on May 6 after he was shot and killed following a high-speed chase, as Blavity previously reported. The 21-year-old began the broadcast during the chase, and it recorded his final moments.

After Reed stopped the car and tried to run, multiple gunshots rang out. He dropped to the ground, and the camera was pointed at the sky for a while. As officers surveyed the aftermath, the anonymous Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detective made a joke about the state of Reed’s corpse.

"I think it's going to be a closed casket, homie," the detective said with a chuckle.

A day after Reed’s death, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Randal Taylor acknowledged and condemned the remark, the Daily Beast reported.

“We are aware of inappropriate comments made by an IMPD detective,” Taylor said during a press conference. “Let me be clear: These comments are unacceptable and unbecoming of our police department.”

On Thursday, a police spokesperson told the media the detective was suspended for “numerous days and has been reassigned to another unit.”

The encounter started after two officers noticed Reed was driving erratically and began to pursue him, according to NBC News. The chase ensued until Reed pulled into a parking lot.

"Somebody come get my stupid a*s. Please, come get me," Reed said in the video. "I just parked this motherf**ker. I'm gone."


IMPD said an officer deployed a Taser but it did not work. The department noted "there was an exchange of gunfire between the driver and the officer" before Reed died. A gun was recovered from the scene, according to NBC News.

The officer who shot Reed is on administrative leave, and the incident is under investigation. The officer has not been named, but NBC News reported he is a Black man.

Reed’s family has been vocal about their grief. On Wednesday, Jamie Reed, his father, vowed to seek justice for his son.

“It’s not right. We’re going to fight for him. I swear to god it is just not right,” he said at a press conference. “We need to fight for this. We don’t need to let this fade. We need to all fight.”

"He's going to be in a casket the next time I see him," Jazmine Reed, his sister, said. "It shouldn't be like that."

Reed’s death is one of three fatal incidents involving IMPD between May 6 and May 7. Eight hours prior to Reed's killing, an officer shot and killed McHale Rose, a man who fired a rifle at four officers, NPR reported. On Wednesday night, Officer Jonathon Henderson struck and killed 23-year-old Ashlynn Lisby as she crossed an interstate ramp, reported The Associated Press. Lisby was pregnant, and her fetus did not survive.

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