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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA judge on Thursday appointed a special prosecutor to investigate possible criminal charges in the shooting death of 21-year-old Dreasjon “Sean” Reed almost a month ago by Indianapolis police.
Marion Superior Judge Heather Welch signed an order appointing Rosemary Khoury of Anderson to investigate and bring any potential charges arising from the fatal shooting of Reed by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department after a chase on May 6. Khoury is a deputy prosecutor in the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office.
The appointment comes one day after Reed’s mother and family members called for federal authorities to take over the investigation. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears requested the appointment of a special prosecutor on May 8.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randal Taylor on Wednesday also called for the immediate appointment of a special prosecutor.
Reed was killed on a day in which three people were killed in separate officer-involved incidents that sparked protests last month.
Witnesses dispute police narratives claiming Reed exchanged gunshots with police before he was shot. Reed’s cellphone apparently live-streamed events surrounding his death, including an IMPD detective whose voice was captured on the video saying, “I think it’s going to be a closed casket, homie,” an apparent reference to a closed-casket funeral. The deputy was suspended.
The killing of Reed came weeks before the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week that erupted in widespread protests nationwide over police brutality and racial inequities.
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Where are the body cameras on IMPD officers? Are Detective not required to wear a body camera? This is a good example why Detectives, as well as patrolmen, should be wearing a body camera with audio ON. If a camera is not turned on, they should be suspended. This suspended detective should be watched as such comments are indicative of further problems.
And YES, outside prosecutors should always be called in where excessive force is used in a shooting resulting in death. The majority of the time the Prosecutor lets IMPD off without disciplinary action.
body camera’s are expensive. Police have limited budgets … now considering being defunded … they probably won’t get body cam’s if the budget gets trashed …