Mother of 'Mr. Indianapolis' sues city, police for not preventing son's shooting death

Corrections & Clarifications: This article was updated to reflect that Mayor Joe Hogsett was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

The mother of a man who was fatally shot during protests and riots that engulfed parts of downtown Indianapolis in the summer of 2020 is suing the city.

Debra Cooper, whose son Chris Beaty was fatally shot May 30, 2020 while patrolling his downtown neighborhood, filed a lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

In the legal complaint, her attorney claimed the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Mayor Joe Hogsett failed to provide adequate safety in the city center even as peaceful protests over the police killings of Black Americans gave way to violence in some areas.

More on 'Mr. Indianapolis': IU football names scholarship, team award after Chris Beaty

"After dispersing the crowd, peaceful protesters and violent criminals alike, IMPD failed to follow up with patrols around the residential neighborhoods of Downtown Indianapolis following the protest to discourage any additional violence," Cooper's attorney wrote.

The legal complaint also says Hogsett "failed to provide for and maintain the public safety in downtown Indianapolis."

Beaty shot during neighborhood patrol

IMPD declined to comment on the lawsuit. IndyStar also requested comment from the city.

Beaty, who was known by the nickname "Mr. Indianapolis," was found dead May 30, 2020 around 11:50 p.m. on North Talbott Street. He had been fatally shot.

His death was a shock to Indianapolis and the Indiana sports community. The former Indiana University Hoosiers defensive lineman was an entrepreneur who founded an events promotion company and managed nightclubs in the city.

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said text messages Beaty sent right before the shooting suggest he was checking the area around his North Delaware Street apartment to make sure conditions were safe.

Chris Beaty homicide: 2 more suspects charged with murder in 'Mr. Indianapolis' killing

Three people — Marcus Jayon Anderson, Alijah Jones and Nakeyah Shields — have been charged in connection with Beaty's death. Police say the trio was involved in multiple robberies in the heart of downtown after civil rights protests devolved into riots.

'Air of lawlessness' in downtown

Police weren't ready to handle the magnitude of unrest that erupted that evening, according to allegations in Cooper's legal complaint. "Street officers were given very little if no instruction and were told merely to come downtown and maintain order," the complaint claims.

The complaint also says there were "too many people" inside a police command center on Shadeland Avenue the day Beaty was killed, which curtailed IMPD's ability to “engage in organized policing operations."

Cooper's attorney doesn't cite any evidence to support these allegations.

An independent review from 2021 of how police handled the protests found multiple signs IMPD lacked coordination and may have stoked disorder by firing non-lethal weapons on the crowds. The review, which was commissioned by the city, does not make any connection between police and Beaty's death.

More: 'Highly upsetting': Report says IMPD was unprepared in George Floyd, Dreasjon Reed protests

"The defendants’ actions and failures to act resulted in a heightened state of violence and unprotected air of lawlessness throughout the downtown area," the legal complaint reads.

IU coach: Beaty 'loved people'

Cooper is asking the court to find that IMPD, Hogsett and the city aided in the wrongful death of Beaty, and violated his constitutional rights.

She is asking for financial compensation "for the loss of Christopher Beaty, Beaty’s loss of services, loss of love and affection, emotional support, funeral and burial expenses, and incidental expenses associated with the cost of the administration of the Estate of Christopher Beaty."

Following his death, Beaty's alma mater, Cathedral High School, set up a tuition fund in his honor. Indiana University football named a scholarship and an award after him.

“He loved Indiana, he loved Indiana football. He loved people,” IU football coach Tom Allen said, describing Beaty. “He was a very caring, passionate person towards the things he valued in his life, and that was a big emphasis on others."

"So selfless," Allen added.

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: Chris Beaty's mother sues city, police over son's shooting death