The Indianapolis police officer who shot and killed Dreasjon Reed last year is suing the National Football League over social media posts that associate Reed with other victims of officer-involved killings.
De’Joure Mercer’s attorneys filed a civil case Monday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The libel lawsuit asks for a jury trial and “substantial compensatory damages.”
Late last year, the NFL launched an online campaign highlighting the lives of those who were killed by police officers or victims of racism. Eighty-Seven names were mentioned, including Reed and George Floyd.
The lawsuit claims the NFL’s social media posts accuse Mercer of committing police misconduct in connection with Reed’s death, which has caused Mercer to suffer from “emotional and reputational injury.”
The lawsuit said the NFL “published its false statements of fact negligently and with a reckless disregard of the truth.”
Mercer shot and killed 21-year-old Reed on May 6, 2020 after a vehicle chase turned into a foot pursuit. Several months later, a grand jury decided not to criminally charge Mercer.
