INDIANAPOLIS–When a man was shot and killed by an IMPD officer on the northwest side of Indianapolis Wednesday night, the incident was streamed on Facebook Live.
The video does not show an exchange of gunfire, but more than a dozen gunshots are heard on the video.
“Both the officers and the detectives have done their due diligence in preserving that evidence through the proper legal channels and if it’s associated that there’s information on there that’s appropriate for the investigation, they’ll utilize it,” said IMPD Deputy Chief Chris Bailey.
The man who was killed has been identified as Dreasjon “Sean” Reed.
The officer has been placed on administrative leave. Both the officer and Reed are black. The Facebook post that included the live stream was also removed from the man’s page, though it is not clear at this time how it was removed or by whom.
You can see the video here. Viewer discretion is advised.
“We’re aware of some facts from the Facebook Live video. However, the NAACP will monitor and review additional facts as the investigations proceed and then determine whether it warrants any actions by our organization,” said Greater Indianapolis NAACP Branch President Chrystal Ratcliffe.
The ACLU of Indiana also released a statement:
We join many in the community by calling for a prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation into the deadly shooting of Sean Reed. The public deserves to get a detailed account of why this man was shot and what actions Indianapolis Police took to avoid yet another fatal shooting. Whether someone is unarmed or armed, compliant or resistant, police officers should be properly trained in de-escalation tactics and turn to the use of force only as a last resort, not a first option.
Indianapolis City-County Council President Vop Osili released this statement on behalf of the City-County Council:
We are all saddened tonight at the violent loss of a young life. While we wait for the investigative process to unfold and the facts to become fully understood, our thoughts tonight are with the family and friends of a young man whose future will never be realized. Events like today’s leave all of us shaken–public officials, local residents, and members of law enforcement alike–and cause us all to recognize that every life lost in our community is a tragedy.
