Man killed in gunfire exchange with Indiana cop split time between there and North Texas
A man who died Wednesday in Indianapolis after police said he was shot by an officer on whom he had fired a gun had lived for a time in North Texas, a relative told The Washington Post.
Dreasjon Reed, 21, graduated from an Indianapolis high school, was in the Air Force for a year and was splitting his time between Indianapolis and North Texas, according to a family member referenced in a Post report. He was known as Sean.
Indianapolis police did not release the name of the civilian involved, but said at the time of his death the man was a resident of Indianapolis.
Reed died after a police vehicle and foot pursuit. After parking and leaving his car, police said, Reed ran and fired a gun. The officer first tried to stun Reed, then shot him.
Audio of the encounter was recorded on Facebook Live; Reed recorded video before he left the car.
Reed’s Facebook profile lists Fort Worth as his residence. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2018, said D’Andre Patterson, his flight leader, according to an Indianapolis Star report. The circumstances of Reed’s departure from the Air Force were not clear.
Reed’s encounter with police began with the department’s senior commanders, who were driving behind him on an interstate. His driving was reckless, police said.
A deputy chief was in an unmarked police vehicle, and Chief Randal Taylor was in a separate vehicle directly behind the deputy chief. The deputy chief asked for other officers’ assistance as he began a pursuit. The vehicle was speeding and disobeying traffic signals, police said.
As marked cars joined the pursuit, the chief and deputy chief removed themselves. At 6:10 p.m., the pursuit was ended by the sergeant monitoring it.
Just before 6:16 p.m., another officer saw a Toyota Corolla pull into the rear of a business in the 6200 block of Michigan Road.
The driver jumped from the vehicle, disregarding the officer’s commands to stop, police said. There was an exchange of gunfire between the driver and officer, police said, and the suspect was shot.
Police in Indianapolis have faced protests following the shooting, including at a vigil that was held Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 7:22 PM.
