[ACLU\Dreasjon Reed]
ACLU’s Paige Fernandez: “These police killings are not one-off incidents and are not the result of a few bad apples, but rather emblematic of the systemic problems that pervade our policing institutions.”
Photo: YouTube
On Wednesday, May 6th, police officers shot and killed Air Force veteran Dreasjon “Sean” Reed in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Police have claimed that Reed opened fire after a car chase, but disturbing live video raises significant concerns and justifies outrage from community members. That video, taken on Reed’s phone, began during the chase and captured Reed pleading for help from those watching before being gunned down by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
That same video captures an IMPD officer stating jokingly “I think it’s going to be a closed casket homie.”
Paige Fernandez, policing policy advisor with the American Civil Liberties Union, issued the following statement:
“We mourn the loss of Dreasjon Reed as police yet again have robbed another Black man of his life, and we join community members in Indiana in calling for an immediate, thorough, and transparent investigation into his death by Indiana officials and the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Despite crime, arrests, and incarceration rates declining across the country in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, fatal officer-involved shootings continue to ravage communities, particularly those of color. These police killings are not one-off incidents and are not the result of a few bad apples, but rather emblematic of the systemic problems that pervade our policing institutions. The callousness of the officers’ remarks after killing add to the pain and tragedy of Reed’s death. It is critically important that they are held responsible for their actions.”
