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National Association of Black Veterans call for transparency, justice

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The Indianapolis chapter of the National Association of Black Veterans (NABVETS) held a press conference July 2 to go over a list of demands for Mayor Joe Hogsett and the city, as well as to discuss a meeting representatives of the group had with Hogsett earlier in the week. 

Curtis Godfrey, a former commander in the United States Army, began the press conference at the site of Dreasjon Reedā€™s death. Reed, a 21-year-old Air Force veteran, was shot and killed by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officer DeJour Mercer on May 6 following a car chase. 

ā€œThere have been far too many injuries, and in many cases, deaths, [due to police],ā€ Godfrey said. ā€œWe met with the mayor and his special counsel, and weā€™re here today to honor our Air Force veteran who was killed by an IMPD officer-involved shooting. … Weā€™re here for the sake of transparency.ā€

Dave Rozzell, a minister and retired Navy senior chief, read a letter written to Hogsett requesting a meeting, along with the list of demands from NABVETS. Among them are the creation of a Human Rights Council in lieu of a police review board and the release of documentation regarding the May 31 incident involving IMPD officers and two women downtown, as well as the release of Reedā€™s autopsy report. 

ā€œWe could no longer take this without expressing our concern,ā€ Rozzell said. ā€œEnough is enough. We expect each officer protects and serves each American citizen, or we will have to protect and defend ourselves.ā€

Rozzell said the June 30 meeting with Hogsett and Special Counsel Tim Moriarty lasted about an hour, and said the mayor seemed responsive ā€” even sympathetic ā€” to the issues NABVETS brought forward. 

Rozzell read from a letter presented to Hogsett during the meeting, listing more demands from the organization. 

ā€œOur community has the right to know the facts,ā€ Rozzell said, referencing the May 31 incident involving IMPD and two women, one of whom was Black. ā€œOfficers beat an unarmed female, as if they were pursuing a fugitive ā€¦ or a wild animal, for being downtown 10 minutes after curfew. ā€¦ That was truly unacceptable and all those involved must be held accountable.ā€

Rozzell also argued that Mercer must also be held accountable for the ā€œexecution-style killing of Dreasjon Reed.ā€ The group is also calling for an end to qualified immunity.

ā€œWe are encouraged, weā€™re hopeful,ā€ Godfrey said of the groupā€™s meeting with Hogsett. ā€œItā€™s going to hurt, whatever the decisions are that are made by the mayor and the city. But itā€™s necessary. If it means we have a reduction of police, then thatā€™s what weā€™ll do. ā€¦ We, the people, allow you to police us. We allow them because we the people outnumber the police. ā€¦ So, at this point, weā€™ve allowed them to police us for far too long, and itā€™s come to this unfortunate time that we must take dramatic measures to ā€¦ prevent the loss of life.ā€

Contact staff writer Breanna Cooper at 317-762-7848. Follow her on Twitter @BreannaNCooper.

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