INDIANAPOLIS--A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by the family of Christopher Beaty regarding his death during the 2020 riots in downtown Indianapolis.
Beaty, 38, was shot and killed while trying to stop a robbery near his home during the riots on May 30, 2020.
Beaty’s family filed a wrongful death suit against the City of Indianapolis, IMPD, and IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. They claim Beaty’s death was the “result of the Defendants’ actions and inactions during a period of civil unrest in downtown Indianapolis.”
In the ruling issued Tuesday, Judge Tanya Walton Pratt denied those claims. She says the suit failed to prove the city created or increase the danger downtown during the riot.
“Here, the Estate has failed to state a claim that Defendants created or increased a danger to Beaty. Unfortunately, while acting as a ‘good Samaritan,’ the danger for Beaty was created by Beaty and not by the Defendants,” said Pratt in her ruling.
Judge Pratt also said that the city’s “alleged actions or inactions” did not create a constitutional violation.
“The fact that IMPD could have done more does not mean that it acted with deliberate indifference. It is difficult to ignore Beaty’s tragic death and the Court feels great empathy for the Estate, but the Constitution does not guarantee Beaty’s safety from criminals,” said Pratt.
Three people have been charged for Beaty’s murder: Marcus Anderson, Alijah Jones, and Nakeyah Shields.
Anderson faces two counts of murder (one for Beaty’s murder and another for killing Beaty while committing a robbery) as well as six counts of armed robbery and one count of pointing a firearm. Jones and Shields each face one count of murder and six counts of armed robbery.
A jury trial for all three of them is scheduled to start March 27.
The founder of Fresh Marketing, Beaty also owned and managed various clubs all around Indianapolis, had just launched another company, Worldwide Masks at the time, to help address the needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and he also served as a pregame entertainment staffer during two seasons for the Indianapolis Colts, assisting his longtime friend James Waldon, or DJ GNO, in getting both the Colts players and the fans hyped up on gameday.
“Chris Beaty was a great friend to the Colts, and to his community,” Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted on June 3. “Chris made the world a better place — unlike whoever needlessly ended his life.”
Beaty also played football at Indiana University.
