IMPD chief says court must 'immediately' appoint special prosecutor in Dreasjon Reed case

Update: On Thursday, Marion Superior Court Judge Heather Welch appointed Rosemary Khoury of Madison County to serve as the special prosecutor in the investigation into Dreasjon "Sean" Reed's death. Khoury, who is black, has been a deputy prosecutor in Madison County since 2009.

“I’m more focused on making sure I go into this with an open mind," Khoury said. “I want to be sure to consider every piece of evidence that there is.”

Initial story: Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor called Wednesday for the Marion Superior Court to "immediately" appoint a special prosecutor in the police-involved shooting death of Dreasjon Reed.

Reed, 21, was fatally shot following a car and foot pursuit with an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer on May 6. Part of the incident was captured on Reed's Facebook Live. 

Police said Reed fired a weapon after being tased, but attorneys for his family said Wednesday that Reed "unequivocally" did not fire or brandish a gun during the incident. 

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, citing a conflict of interest, asked Marion Superior Court on May 8 to assign a special prosecutor.

In a statement provided to IndyStar, Marion Superior Court Administrator Emily VanOsdol said the request is pending before Judge Heather Welch.

She said according to the Code of Judicial Conduct, the judge cannot comment on the particulars of any pending matter, but any information that is a matter of public record will be made available.  

"There is not a timeline required by rule,"  VanOsdol said in the statement. "As with all matters, the court will carefully consider the appointment and make its decision in due course."

Meanwhile, protesters in Indianapolis and across the country demand answers in recent police-involved killings of black people, including Reed, George Floyd of Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor of Lousiville, Kentucky.

On Wednesday, Taylor said the wait for a special prosecutor "is unacceptable."

"Our community is rightly calling for the release of information and the fulfillment of our commitment to a transparent investigation with monitoring from federal authorities," Taylor said in a statement. "This simply cannot occur without the direction and oversight of an independent prosecutor. 

"I join our community members in calling on the Marion County Superior Court to immediately appoint a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation as it proceeds, release information as soon as is possible, and make a swift and thorough charging determination based on the facts of the case.”

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett similarly called for the immediate appointment of a special prosecutor on Tuesday. 

"It has been weeks since the Marion County Prosecutor's Office declined to review this investigation, and our community rightly demands and deserves the naming of a special prosecutor to lead the investigation, release information when appropriate, and reach a conclusion that will be conveyed to our community swiftly and transparently," Hogsett said. 

Contact IndyStar reporter Elizabeth DePompei at 317-444-6196 or edepompei@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @edepompei.