Rally Remembers Reed And Rose One Year Later

The Indianapolis Black Lives Matter group, Indy 10, held a memorial rally on Monument Circle Saturday.

This week marks one year since Dreasjon Reed and McHale Rose were shot and killed by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers.

Dreasjon Reed’s mother Demetree Wynn spoke to the crowd of supporters, who were asked to “say his name” and those of others killed by police officers, including George Floyd.

“Why did Dreasjon Reed have to be a part of that list,” Wynn said. "Why is my son part of that list?”

The event came after a week of action for the group where organizers held trainings and remembrance ceremonies and stocked pantry shelves.

The crowd of about 100 joined in familiar chants for justice and police defunding. Almost a year ago now those chants came in days of marching and protest. Much of that was peaceful, but it was punctuated by police tear gassing protesters, property damage and two people killed.  This weekend, chants were delivered against a backdrop of wedding photo shoots and party bikes on the circle. 

Speaker Jessica Marie said more action is needed.

“To be honest, too many of you all are going to trainings and not doing anything with the information,” Marie said. 

The group restated demands that include defunding IMPD, abolishing the police union -- the Fraternal Order of Police, or FOP -- and investing more money in historically marginalized communities.

“Speaking means nothing, actions means everything. Do something about it,” Reed’s mother Demetree Wynn said. 

The group also called for the firing of the officer who was heard making a comment about the need for a closed casket after Reed was killed.

Reed’s family has asked the FBI to revisit Reed’s case.

CORRECTION: The first version of this article inacurately attributed a quote to Leah Derray. The speaker was Jessica Marie. That has been corrected. Thank you to those who reached out.