THE INCIDENT
(AS WE UNDERSTAND IT HAPPENED)
ATTENDED PARTY WITH GIRLFRIEND'S CO-WORKERS
On the night of August 15, 2019, just one week prior to his scheduled return home, Trevor and his girlfriend attended a party for some people that worked in her office. Trevor was encouraged to drink a large amount of Vodka and apparently became inebriated. There is also a possibility that he may have been given other substances without his knowledge, but we have no indication of this other than the fact that he has no memory of anything. He has no memory of the evening past drinking vodka and being asked to toast many times. In the early morning hours of August 16, they asked to share a ride home with some people from the party.
THE POLICE ARE CALLED
Trevor reportedly became nauseated and wanted to get out of the vehicle. When the car stopped, he exited the vehicle and started running around near a busy boulevard late at night. People with Trevor called the police for assistance. When the police arrived, they reported he was “in the condition of strong intoxication considering his shaky gait, rambling speech, and strong smell of alcohol. Reed waved his hands, shouted incoherent words, and behaved inadequately”. The police took him to the police station instead of taking him to a medical facility which is reportedly the official procedure for this type of situation for Moscow residents. His girlfriend, and the others, followed closely behind the police vehicle on its way to the police station.
GRAY AREA IN THE SYSTEM REGARDING POLICE ACTION FOR INTOXICATED PERSONS
We are not clear on this subject but it appears that there are some questions about how these situations should be handled since changes were made a few years ago. It has something to do with past practice of taking intoxicated persons to special facilities to recover from their condition. The facilities were reportedly closed a few years ago and now the extremely intoxicated person is supposed to be taken to a medical facility because the police don't have the medical ability to assist them.
POLICE STATION
After arriving at the police station early in the morning of August 16, Trevor was acting very intoxicated and nauseated. Trevor’s girlfriend called his parents from the police station to alert them of his arrest. Once he was inside the station, police personnel advised his girlfriend to come back in a few hours about 09:00 a.m. and pick Trevor up. It was assumed that he was not being charged with any crime.
GIRLFRIEND RETURNS TO JAIL TO TAKE TREVOR HOME,
AS SHE WAS INSTRUCTED EARLIER BY POLICE PERSONNEL
Trevor’s girlfriend returned to the jail at the specified time, possibly with a family member, Trevor was being interviewed by the Russian Federal Security Services (FSB) without an attorney or adequate interpreter while he was probably still under the influence. Around this time, she was also told that Trevor was now being charged with a serious crime of intentionally endangering the lives and health of the police officers that brought him to the station. Trevor’s girlfriend called his parents to tell them of the changing situation and new serious charges against him. The parents immediately contacted the American Embassy in Moscow and informed personnel of the situation and location where Trevor was being detained. The State Department American Citizens Services (ACS) personnel said they would confirm his arrest with the Russian authorities. Later that Friday, an individual called the Embassy several times to report that Trevor was being injured and needed help.
INITIAL COURT HEARING
On Saturday, August 17, Trevor was brought before a judge to determine if and where he would be detained until his trial. The judge ordered him held in pre-trial detention jail without bail. This decision would later be appealed and temporarily overturned in an appellate court.
TREVOR TRANSFERRED TO SIZO-5 PRE-DETENTION CENTER, MOSCOW, RUSSIA
Sunday-Monday, August 18-19, Trevor was moved to another jail. Then Trevor was moved to Sizo-5 Pre-Trial Detention Center where he is still jailed.
THE CHARGES AGAINST TREVOR REED
PART 2 of ARTICLE 318 of The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation
The use of violence dangerous to the life and health against a government official in the performance of their duties. An act punishable by up to ten years imprisonment.
TREVOR IS ACCUSED OF CAUSING THE POLICE VEHICLE TO SWERVE DANGEROUSLY ENDANGERING OFFICER'S LIVES
He is accused of grabbing the right arm of the driver causing him to swerve dangerously into other lanes causing the driver to slow quickly to avoid the vehicle rolling over. Trevor is also accused of striking the officer in the back seat with his elbow as the officer tried to stop Trevor from grabbing the driver. Over two hours of video evidence from several cameras and government expert analysis of the videos determined that the police vehicle never swerved at all or slowed down as reported by the police during their multiple versions of the story. The police officer who said that Trevor struck him said he had a bruise on his abdomen, but he never showed it to anyone. He never missed work. He was wearing body armor at the time.