On Wednesday night, a black officer with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department shot and killed 21-year-old Sean Reed following a pursuit.
The pursuit was witnessed and the shots were heard by thousands on Facebook Live, courtesy of Reed’s own phone.
The story immediately made national headlines thanks to an anti-law enforcement culture in a society that is eager to scream “racism” whenever a person of color meets with an officer’s bullet.
Facts and a suspect’s criminal history matter little to angry protesters and those who have been preconditioned by prominent race-baiters such as Al Sharpton, who enrich themselves by promoting hate and bias against law enforcement.
“I’ve spoken w/Demetree Wynn, mother of Sean Reed, a 21-year-old veteran killed last night by police in Indianapolis,” Sharpton tweeted Wednesday. “NAN is standing w/ her demanding a full, impartial investigation. This must stop!”
At least Sharpton is usually fairly overt in his racially-biased criticism of police officers. Indiana Congressman Andre Carson lacks the courage of conviction to use the blunt tactics of Sharpton, opting instead to employ the art of the dog-whistle.
“There’s a lot we are still learning about the police shooting today in Northwest Indy,” Carson tweeted on Wednesday night, referring to the shooting of Reed that happened earlier in the night. “But here’s what we know for sure: Simply being Black in America should not be a death sentence, but for countless people, it is. I will continue to monitor the situation.”
Rep. Carson has yet to comment on the black 8-year-old girl or the black 16-year-old girl who were killed by stray bullets in Indianapolis recently. To be fair, however, calling for change and accountability in the black community was never Andre Carson’s thing. Gosh, if only those girls had been killed by police officers.
Yes, there is a lot we don’t know about the fatal shooting of Sean Reed.
Here’s What We Do Know, Thanks to Video Provided by Sean Reed Himself:
Sean Reed was laughing, intermittently rapping along with the music he was playing, staring at his phone while driving erratically, and gleefully taunting police prior to his unfortunate death.
- 0:21 Sean Reed states: “Bail me out! Bail me out!” He repeats the phrase multiple times throughout the video.
- 0:48: “This the funniest [indecipherable] I did all day.”
- 1:30: “I can’t stop. I know I got [indecipherable] on me.”
- 1:41: “If you all wanna bail me out, you feel me, I got about two [indecipherable] you feel me? And then, you feel me, whatever ya’ll come up with the s***, you feel me? Ooh! This is fun though.
- 1:54: “But like, man I can’t, I just can’t go back to jail, ya’ll. Ya’ll know me. Everybody know me. I do not like jail, so you feel me?”
- 2:05: “But back to my music so I can, you feel me?”
- 2:09: “Until it’s backwards, baby. You already know how the game goes, you feel me?”
- 2:11: “Hey sis, I’m sorry, I love you though. You know I had to.”
- 3:15: (Presumably referring to police) “Damn, look at all them. All for little old me. Oh my God.”
- 3:55: Two police cruisers are seen chasing Reed as he begins to pull away at a high rate of speed in a residential area.
- 4:14: “Dumb ass, [indecipherable] that s***. I got you though, you feel me? Hey. Look. I got you though. I’m not going faster than [indecipherable]. I’m having fun with ’em though.”
- 4:25: “Highway? Hell no, I’m not f***ing with [indecipherable]
- 5:20: “I’m at a dead-end, ya’ll.”
- 5:32: Reed encounters a police roadblock and is fully stopped.
- 5:33: “Yeah! Woo! I love this [indecipherable]”
- 5:39: Reed begins driving again.
- 5:40: “Yeah, come on, baby! Yeah! Yeah! Come on, baby! Yeah! F*** with a real n*****! Who ya’ll f***ing with? I’m [indecipherable], you not me b****! Come on, baby! F*** with a real n***** when you come in this s***! (laughs) F*** with me.”
- 5:59: “B****! You gotta do better if you gonna… I’m not going to jail easy, baby. I’m [indecipherable]”
- 6:13: “I love you, mama. I’m so sorry I put you through this. I love you though.”
- 6:38: “Come on, baby! Catch up! Catch up! You gotta do better!”
- 6:50: “I ain’t gettin’ out of this.”
- 7:01: “eh, whoever is [indecipherable] can whip this mother f***er, I love it. Tell ’em to keep up though.”
- 7:14: [indecipherable]
- 7:17: “Fox 59, baby! I love it here. I love it here. Now you feel me? You tell the people right here.”
- 7:28: Police sirens heard. “Imma beat your mother f***ing ass. Oh my God.”
- 7:44: “Get away? I know I’m not getting away.”
- 8:01: “Yo, [indecipherable] on my other phone.
- 9:13: “[indecipherable] ain’t got no gas, ya’ll.”
- 9:15: “Imma start shooting. They ain’t gonna catch me.”
- 9:57: “[indecipherable] I do. They ain’t really following me no more though, baby. There’s only one now. He gonna keep following me ’till I run out of gas.
- 11:12: “There’s only one of them now. He’s just following me though.”
- 11:44: [Reed’s phone is heard ringing] “I can’t answer on this phone.
- 12:10: “This mother [indecipherable] three guns, like that’s crazy, ya’ll.
- 12:33: [indecipherable] Uh-oh. What the f*** is going on? Like… Uh-oh, I almost lost him, ya’ll! I almost got rid of his ass [indecipherable] I thought I had his ass. I thought I was going good.”
- 13:04: “Uh-oh! Uh-oh! Did I lose his ass? Oh yeah! Oh yeah! [indecipherable].
- 13:10: “Oh yeah! I’m not going to jail today, no sir. You gotta catch me, baby. I’m not going to jail today. I’m not going to jail today.”
- 13:25: “I think I’m gonna be on mother f***ing… What is this? What the f*** is this? Is this Michigan? Come on! How the f***? What street is this? I’m gonna park this mother f***er and get the f*** out. Oh baby! Oh baby! What’s this? Michigan and what? Michigan and what? Ash? I’m gonna park this mother f***er Eh! I’m at 62nd and Michigan! Somebody gonna get my stupid ass. Please, come get me. Please, come get me. Please, come get me. I’m on 62nd and Michigan. I just parked this mother f***er. I’m gone. Please, come get me.”
- 13:54: Reed exits the vehicle and begins running.
- 14:10: “Whats you say?”
- 14:22: “F*** you”
- 14:23: Reed drops to the ground.
- 14:25: “S***!
- 14:26: Multiple gunshots are heard being exchanged.
From that point onward, police officers are heard speaking at various times and exchanging information.
At no point in time does anyone discuss planting evidence on Reed, and it’s clear from the video that officers were completely unaware the suspect’s phone was live-streaming.
At 19:48, however, an officer is heard saying, “Look like it’s gonna be a close casket, homie,” which became the catalyst for the outrage that ensued.
Yes, the officer’s comment was inappropriate and he should undoubtedly be reprimanded, but the remark is certainly not evidence of racism and to suggest otherwise is divisive and wrong.
The average police officer encounters the worst of humanity on a regular basis and he or she is often a first-hand witness to tragedy. Off-color humor is frequently one of the tools that emergency responders and law enforcement officers rely upon to cope with the stress of the job.
IMPD spoke with the local news media about the incident Wednesday afternoon.
Any rational person can clearly see from the suspect’s own video that Sean Reed is fully responsible for his own death. He made a series of bad decisions that regretfully ended his life, but it was his choice.
There are legitimate cases where young black men have been unjustly shot and or physically assaulted by racist police officers, but Sean Reed isn’t one of them. To make a martyr out of him is beyond despicable, it’s unconscionable.
WIBC’s Hammer and Nigel discuss both IMPD shootings that took place on Wednesday in the clip below.
https://omny.fm/shows/hammer-and-nigel-show/impd-shootings-and-the-death-of-sean-reed
