Indianapolis Black Teen Falsely Accused of Attempted Murder in Viral Clip Now Suing Police Officer Over Claims
An 18-year-old Black man spent four days in jail after he was charged with attempted murder against an Indianapolis police officer. That police narrative unraveled the moment prosecutors watched the body camera footage. Now, the teen is taking legal action.
Dailen Brewer is suing the City of Indianapolis and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Robyn Frazier, alleging that she fabricated evidence that led to his arrest, according to WIBC 93.1 FM. The lawsuit claims the city continued spreading a false narrative even after video contradicted it.
“We just want to make sure when you do your job, you do your job properly, and certainly, inventing false allegations against a law-abiding citizen is certainly not acceptable by any standard,” Terrance Kinnard, the teen’s attorney, said, according to WTHR News.
What’s more, Brewer has accused Frazier of violating his constitutional rights through false arrest, malicious prosecution, evidence fabrication and defamation.
The federal lawsuit stems from an April 12 encounter at Riverside Park, we previously told you.
According to court filings, Brewer drove into the park with a friend, legally carrying two firearms inside his vehicle. His lawsuit says Sgt. Frazier followed him after he entered the park, walked up to the driver’s side and opened his car door. Body camera footage immediately shows Brewer with both hands raised while the firearms remained on the vehicle’s floor.
But then, the situation escalated.
As Frazier attempted to pull Brewer from the still-running vehicle, the car began to roll, the lawsuit claimed. Brewer briefly reached toward the gearshift to put the vehicle in park. That’s when Frazier drew her weapon and pointed it at Brewer and his passenger. According to the complaint obtained by WIBC, Brewer stopped reaching for the gearshift and kept his hands raised.
Frazier’s sworn probable cause affidavit told a dramatically different story, however.
She alleged Brewer pointed a revolver directly at her and even made a motion suggesting he pulled the trigger–an allegation that resulted in Brewer being charged with attempted murder of a police officer, along with several other felonies, according to Fox 59 News. Because of the severity of the charges, Brewer couldn’t post bond and spent four days in jail.
Everything changed once prosecutors reviewed the body camera footage. “Not only did it cause him to be arrested and spend all of that time in jail, but you also literally put this man’s entire life in jeopardy,” attorney Kinnard said. “Because without that camera, who knows what the outcome of this case would have been.”
On April 16, all charges were dismissed after prosecutors determined the video did not support the officer’s account, according to the lawsuit.
Brewer argues the damage didn’t end there.
The lawsuit alleged Indianapolis officials left public statements describing him as someone who tried to kill a police officer on official platforms even after the charges were dropped, WIBC reported. That’s become one of the central questions raised by the case: If the body camera footage contradicted the original allegations, why wasn’t the public record corrected just as publicly?
Whether this amounts to a deliberate cover-up remains unproven, and Brewer’s allegations have not been adjudicated in court. But the lawsuit points to a familiar pattern that has fueled public distrust for years: an explosive police narrative makes headlines immediately, while exculpatory evidence surfaces quietly days later.
In Brewer’s case, the body camera didn’t just document an arrest. It may have prevented a teenager from spending years behind bars.
