The special prosecutor in charge of the investigation into the fatal police shooting of Dreasjon Reed has requested a grand jury.
Rosemary Khoury, who was appointed as special prosecutor in early June, called a grand jury the “best and final indicator” in an investigation. She made the announcement Aug. 21 at the Statehouse.
A grand jury can decide whether to indict Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer Dejoure Mercer, who shot and killed 21-year-old Reed on May 6 during a foot chase.
Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears requested a special prosecutor two days after Reed’s death, but it took nearly two months for the Marion County Superior Court to appoint Khoury, a deputy prosecutor in Madison County who is also Black.
Khoury could have decided to either bring charges against Mercer or not bring charges. A grand jury — which is chosen the same way a normal jury is — represents a step forward in the investigation but also likely lengthens the amount of time it will take to get a decision.
Khoury will present the case to the grand jury, but it is a secretive process. It’s likely information such as evidence and witnesses won’t be made public.
