Indianapolis Officer Who Made 'Closed Casket' Remark in Dreasjon 'Sean' Reed Shooting Has Been Suspended

Last week, a Facebook Live video went viral detailing the shooting death of 21-year-old Dreasjon “Sean” Reed by the Indianapolis police. In the video an officer could be heard saying “I think it’s going to be a closed casket, homie,” after Reed had been gunned down.

According to NBC News, that officer has now been suspended and reassigned to another unit. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Randal Taylor called the comments “unacceptable.” On May 6, Reed allegedly led police on a high speed chase, which he streamed on Facebook Live. After getting out of his car, Reed ran on foot while still livestreaming. The phone was dropped to the ground and shots were heard going off in the distance.

The identities of the officers involved in the shooting have been withheld because of concerns over their safety, though both have been identified as black. Since the shooting deaths of Reed and McHale Rose, a series of threats have been made against police officers in Indianapolis. Given that the officer displayed a stunning lack of empathy for the fact that a young man died, it’s concerning he’s still allowed to be on the police force.

Reed served in the U.S Air Force for nine months in 2017 and had a desire to return to the school, a friend told NBC News. Nearly 200 people gathered last week to mourn Reed and protest police brutality.