Demartravion “Trey” Reed, a 21-year-old Black college student, was shot and killed by Memphis police early Monday morning. This tragic event happened on the grounds of Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Law enforcement and CRCTF members rushed into action after finding his body hanging from a tree across the pickleball courts. This chilling attack led to a watershed moment of national collective action.
After the discovery, the Mississippi state medical examiner’s office performed an autopsy on Reed Wednesday. At the same time, the Cleveland police department was releasing its own findings. They ruled the manner of death as hanging, calling it a suicide, which goes against the findings of the preliminary investigation. In addition, the local coroner’s office found no signs of any physical attack or sexual assault on Reed prior to his death. This clarity includes the context around the tragedy of his death.
Reed’s family have brought on the well known civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them. They are fighting for accountability, given the situation surrounding his death. As a civil rights lawyer, Crump has made a name for himself, standing up for families affected by racial injustice. Mississippi Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson has come forward, calling for a federal investigation of Reed’s death. In his letter, he highlights the need to investigate what happened.
As this investigation is ongoing. Per the Cleveland police department, toxicology test results for Reed are still pending and could take weeks to return. Civil rights advocates have raised alarm over and called for transparency about the conditions around his death.
The tragedy has understandably resumed the discussion of Mississippi’s recent history with racially motivated violence, especially during the 19th and 20th centuries. The Reed family has received an outpouring of support from numerous observers, who are calling for a full, independent investigation to ensure that Reed’s death is investigated fairly.
“The findings were consistent with the initial investigation, determining the cause of death to be hanging and the manner of death as suicide.” – Cleveland police department