Protesters gather after fatal shooting of Sean Reed on Facebook Live
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Emotions were high as hundreds rallied downtown Thursday afternoon on the steps outside the City-County Building.
The response shows it’s not just the family feeling the impact of Sean Reed’s death in a Wednesday night shooting involving Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
There was a whirlwind of emotions tears, yelling, marching all combined into the downtown event. The downtown streets had cleared out by Thursday night, but more protests were underway near the shooting scene in the 6200 block of Michigan Road on the north side.
People quickly took to streets during the downtown protest. Reed’s dad and sister were part of the downtown group. The common message was the fatal shooting didn’t have to happen. “Raw” was the best description of the emotions spewing from the downtown crowd of hundreds.
- What we know and what we don’t know about the shooting of Sean Reed
- IMPD: Officer shoots, kills suspect on city’s north side; protesters gather at scene
(Warning: Facebook Live posts with this story may contain language considered to be graphic.)
“It’s heartbreaking to see we watched him die. Over 30,000 people, 30,000 people, watched him die,” said friend Lamari Edward said in reference to a Facebook Live that Reed recorded as he fled police and was shot.
Community activist James Wilson said, “That could’ve easily been me rolling down the street no matter what the situation.”
He’s angry but wants to assure that anger is not directed all all officers. Instead, he wants people to use the same energy to demand IMPD policy changes.
“Too many officer-involved shootings over the last five to 10 years, and nothing has changed. So, what are we going to do to change that?” Wilson said.
Officials said while one officer, who has not been identified, is responsible for the deadly shooting, the whole force is being questioned.
Rally organizer Dee Ross said, “It’s important that we show unity at this time that we can come together for a cause is like this and stand for something that’s right.”
That rally quickly turned into a protest. There was anger for the deadly shooting and at what another officer was heard saying on the Facebook Live post. He referenced there would be a need for a closed casket for Reed.
“Who says that? Imagine his mother seeing that. You’re sitting here making fun of it and laughing. It’s not a joke. Lives are not a joke lives,” Edward said.
At one point, the crowd moved through rows of cars waiting at the lights and urged the drivers to honk their horns.
Despite the large crowd, IMPD officers on horses and motorcycles were blocking the road as protesters crossed the streets.
