Brady Calls for Transparent, Thorough Investigation into the Shooting Death of Dreasjon “Sean” Reed

Washington, D.C., May 9, 2020 – Today, Brady calls for attention to the shooting death of Dreasjon “Sean” Reed and for a transparent and thorough investigation into his death.

On Wednesday, May 6, Sean Reed was shot and killed by Indianapolis Police after being pulled over for speeding. While facts in this case continue to emerge, Reed broadcasted portions of the interaction on Facebook Live, documenting the interaction and ending with his death while running from the police. That recording and other evidence around Reed’s death demand attention from all Americans. It is indisputable that a traffic stop should never leave any person dead. Given this and the long history of abusive policing across the United States, there must be a transparent and independent investigation into this event.

Brady Constitutional Litigation Counsel Kelly Sampson shared:

“Just days after footage of Ahmaud Arbery’s February 23rd murder impelled action in his case, Sean Reed has joined the too-long list of Black Americans who’ve been shot and killed on camera. When it comes to police violence, the United States is an outlier. We see a far higher rate of fatal police encounters, across all racial groups, when compared to similarly situated countries. And evidence suggests that high rates of civilian gun carrying is one reason why. But that, alone, does not explain why Black Americans are more likely to be shot and killed by police than other groups. There is something else going on: bias. Studies have shown that officers are more likely to perceive Black men as a threat than other groups, even when unarmed. When bias, pressure, and guns collide it very clearly leads to the result that we continue to see: police killing Black people at a significantly higher rate than any other demographic, regardless of the officer’s race.

We are reminded yet again that gun violence takes many forms and that the deadly intersection of systemic racism and gun violence disproportionately affects Black Americans.

The facts in this case need to be firmly established. We need serious inquiries, including an independent review, into the events that led to Reed’s death. But, as a nation, we must also face the indivisible link between our country’s systemic racism and the disproportionate impact of gun violence on Black America.”

Brady has represented many Americans personally affected by gun violence, including law enforcement officers from the Indianapolis Police Department.