Indianapolis reaches settlement with Dreasjon Reed's mom in wrongful death suit
Indianapolis has agreed to pay $390,000 to settle a lawsuit by the mother of Dreasjon Reed almost three years after he was fatally shot by police following a vehicle pursuit.
Demetree Wynn sued the city on behalf of her son’s estate in June 2020, about a month after Reed's death. She brought multiple claims against the city and police, arguing that Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer De’Joure Mercer used excessive force when he shot Reed after a vehicle chase gave way to a foot pursuit.
Reed’s name became part of local activists' rallying cries in May 2020 as protests and riots over police killings of Black Americans gripped downtown.
More:Dreasjon Reed shooting: What we know about the Indianapolis police shooting
Indianapolis police and the city deny any liability. The settlement does not stand as an admission of wrongdoing, the agreement states.
A 2020 grand jury investigation into Mercer found there wasn't enough probable cause to charge him with a crime. Following the grand jury’s decision, Indiana State Police presented ballistic and audio evidence to the public that they say shows Mercer and Reed exchanged gunfire right before Reed was killed.
Judge kept some details from the pending trial
The settlement comes less than a month before the lawsuit was set to go to trial. Days before a settlement notice was submitted to the court at the end of January, Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana approved requests from both sides to shield certain pieces of evidence from landing before a jury.
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The city, for example, was told it could not present testimony by a woman named Evana Evans, who pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal recklessness with a firearm in December 2022. The charge stems from what she says was her role as the driver in an April 2020 drive-by shooting executed by Reed.
Reed was never charged in connection with that shooting. Wynn’s attorneys argued that Evans’ statements were "self-serving." After pleading guilty she was sentenced to two years probation and a year of home detention in lieu of prison time.
The judge also ruled to keep from a jury any evidence backing an allegation that Reed stole a firearm from a pawn shop in Texas. Wynn’s attorneys argued it wasn't relevant to the specific claims in the lawsuit.
More:Grand jury: No charges for IMPD officer who fatally shot Dreasjon Reed
'Closed casket' comment would have been barred
The city, on the other hand, won its request to keep any reference to the 2020 grand jury investigation into Mercer out of the trial. It also won its request to bar statements made by IMPD Officer Steven Scott, who was suspended from IMPD for several days after a recorded comment he made about Reed's body at the scene of the shooting: “I think it’s going to be closed casket, homie.”
In October 2020 the court threw out Wynn's emotional distress claim against Scott, leaving instead the claims against Mercer and the city.
More:IMPD detective who made 'closed casket' comment was suspended, reassigned, chief says
Another piece of evidence that the jury would have never heard about: after the shooting IMPD Deputy Chief Kendale Adams – one of the officers who initiated the vehicle pursuit of Reed – said he delivered a $100 check to Reed’s mom to help cover her son’s burial expenses.
The check was delivered on behalf of the local non-profit 100 Black Men of Indianapolis, a youth development organization. But the city argued there’s no evidence the check was ever cashed.
Call IndyStar courts reporter Johnny Magdaleno at 317-273-3188 or email him at jmagdaleno@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @IndyStarJohnny
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis reaches $390k settlement with Dreasjon Reed's mom
