Tyrell Reed, the uncle of the late Indianapolis rapper also known as Sean Da Don, says the officer's insensitive comment only adds pain to the family's grief.
- May 9, 2020
AceShowbiz - Sean Reed's family has spoken up after the rapper was shot to death during a Facebook livestream. The family of the 21-year-old man from Indianapolis was pissed over a "close casket" jab made by one of the police officers after they gunned down the rapper, who was also known as Sean Da Don.
Sean's uncle Tyrell Reed told TMZ that the cop's insensitive comment only made the family's grief even worse. Meanwhile, his father Jamie has denied that his son was shooting at the officers who were chasing after him in the video. He additionally told News 8 about the video, "It's too hurtful. I can't watch my son get gunned down. It's just hurtful. Just seeing that took me somewhere else."
Sean's family said they want justice and they are considering taking legal action against the police. Sean's sister Jazmine Reed, who attended a rally on Thursday afternoon, May 7 in downtown Indianapolis to protest the police department's handling of the incident, said, "My little brother became a statistic. He wasn't trying to be that."
They, however, are grateful for the support from both online and in the community, including from comedian and Indy-native Mike Epps who has spoken up against the killing. Sean's family added that people who knew the late young man will remember him as someone with a "bubbly personality ... an energetic and loving lifestyle."
News of Sean's shooting quickly gained attention and spread online as he live-streamed the entire incident on Facebook. As reported before, it began as he was speeding and driving recklessly on Interstate 65. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police noticed it and tried to pull him over, but he didn't stop. Instead, the rapper pulled out his camera and started live-streaming the police car chase.
After police pursued the vehicle off an exit ramp for about 15 minutes, Sean, who was born Dreasjon Reed, hopped out of his car and ran away while still holding his phone. The police department said officers shouted at him to stop, but he still ignored it.
When a cop attempted to fire a taser during the foot pursuit, the officers claimed they saw Sean brandishing a firearm and exchanged fire with the officers. He was shot and killed by officers around 6:15 P.M., according to the report.
As the phone continued recording, the cops were heard laughing at the dying man and poking fun at him with one of them saying, "looks like it's going to be a close casket homie." One of the officers was seen in the video before he turned off the Live.
Responding the controversy surrounding the officer's insensitive remark, the police chief admitted the comment was "unacceptable and unbecoming," and stated the unidentified officer would be disciplined.
