The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is under fire after a video of a man being shot and killed went viral. When the video first surfaced, some people believed it to be a hoax that someone created for popularity. However, the police department confirmed that a shooting did indeed occur. They didn't release the name of the deceased, but it quickly surfaced online that the victim was a man by the name of Sean Reed, a U.S. Army veteran.
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In the video, Reed was recording himself as he was being pursued by a police vehicle. According to The New York Times, the officer attempting to pull over the driver is Black, as was Reed. It's reported that Reed had exited an interstate and was seen hitting several cars. The pursuit is said to have reached speeds upwards of 90 miles per hour, and in the video, Reed continuously asks his viewers to "please come get me" while telling them that he doesn't want to go to jail.
He then stops his vehicle, gets out, and takes off running. Within seconds, Reed falls to the ground, along with his cell phone. Then, approximately one dozen rounds can be heard, though, the exact number has been up for debate. The phone is positioned upwards, pointing toward the sky and it continues to record voices, including an unidentified person joking, "Think it’s going to be a closed casket, homie."
Police previously issued a statement claiming that there was an exchange of gunfire and that Reed as armed. They also said that the officer in question did use his stun gun on Reed, as well. Hundreds of people took to the streets to protest the shooting, including members of Sean Reed's family. Social media is calling for swift justice, but the incident has caused a debate because of the circumstances involved. Read through a few reactions below and watch the video of people speaking as Reed's phone recorded them after he was killed.
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