Sean Reed's Family Files Lawsuit

The family of Sean Reed is taking action.

If you can remember, Dreasjon “Sean” Reed’s death was recorded on Facebook Live on May 6 while he evaded Indianapolis Metro Police.

Sean, 21  was seen broadcasting live to his followers while leading police on a chase who saw him driving erratically.

Later, police said he exited his vehicle and exchanged gunfire with them, hence why they killed him. An officer now identified as Steven Scott was recorded on Reed’s Livestream saying, “Looks like it’s going to be a closed casket homie.” The officer who killed him has been identified as Officer Dejoure Mercer.

Family attorneys claim excessive force was used and say he “presented no immediate threat to Officer Mercer or anyone else” and that Reed did not fire, reports WISH TV.

Indianapolis Metro PD is adamant that Reed and Officer Mercer exchanged gunfire. They point out that a gun matching one in photos on Reed’s social media was at the scene.

Attorneys for Reed’s family say that’s simply untrue and claim eyewitnesses saw Reed running away and being shot without brandishing a weapon. Instead, they say he was shot in the back similarly to Rayshard Brooks. 

“An eyewitness video obtained by attorneys representing Dreasjon Reed purports that Reed was tased, and then shot in the back after running from officers,” reports The Indy Star. “It does not show the incident or any footage of Reed or police.

Instead, the eyewitness video, which was shared on Facebook Live, is of three women describing the events they say they witnessed on May 6. “We saw it from the beginning to end,” one says. “We seen the whole thing,” another woman says.

“Every witness that spoke with Mr. Reed’s family’s attorneys disputed that Mr. Reed brandished a weapon or shot a gun before he was shot to death,” said lawyers.

IMPD says Mercer used his stun gun on Reed, but that it was ineffective. Attorney’s for Reed’s family say Mercer shot Reed while he was convulsing on the ground.

The Indy Star reports that a witness was shocked to see the murder and recorded the entire thing.

“They just shot this man, y’all,” one unidentified woman said on the video. “The police just shot this dude on 62nd and Michigan, y’all.”

She continues: “They done shot this man, y’all in his back for no reason after they done already tased this (slur). He was on the ground shaking, and they still shot this man. That is so crazy.”

A coroner’s report detailing Reed’s injuries has not been released—why the delay???

The police officers involved in the incident did not have body cameras or dash camera footage. The family’s lawsuit against IMPD was filed on June 16, Sean Reed’s birthday. A Change.Org petition has been launched to take IMPD off the case.