CHICAGO — Chicago police Supt. David Brown on Wednesday said he was ‘extremely disappointed,’ in the court’s decision to release the man who allegedly purchased the gun used to kill Chicago officer Ella French and critically wound her partner.
He called it a ‘disservice’ to the memory of French.
Jamal Danzy, 29, is accused of buying the weapon from a licensed gun dealer in Hammond, Indiana, in March. He allegedly gave the gun to one of the two Morgan brothers accused in the deadly shooting of Officer Ella French.
A federal judge on Wednesday released Danzy on a $4,500 unsecured bond.
In the past, Brown has been vocal about the county’s justice system and the re-release of violent offenders, often saying that the rise in shootings across Chicago correlates with their exits from police custody. In a statement issued Wednesday, he once again criticized the courts, saying Danzy’s release sets a ‘dangerous precedent’ for straw purchasers:
When I heard this afternoon that a federal judge had released the man who illegally purchased and then supplied the gun used to murder Officer Ella French, I could not believe it.
To say that I am extremely disappointed in U.S Magistrate Judge Jeffery Gilbert’s decision to release Jamel Danzy on an unsecured bond today is an understatement. Danzy was released on a $4,500 unsecured bond and court supervision.
It is an outrage.
This decision sets a dangerous precedent that straw purchasers like Danzy are not a danger to society, despite the fact that his alleged actions directly led to the murder of a Chicago Police Officer and left another in critical condition.
The outrageous abundance of illegal firearms in our city and our nation is a major factor driving the violence that is continually cutting short the lives of our loved ones and fellow human beings.
The role of the justice system, particularly that of federal prosecutors and judges is more important than ever, and by allowing Mr. Danzy to walk free the court has done a disservice to Officer French’s memory, to the entire Chicago Police Department, and to the thousands of men and women across the country who work around the clock, day in and day out to stem the violence that is plaguing our communities.
Full statement from Chicago police Supt. David Brown
The brothers charged in connection with French’s murder and the shooting of her partner, Emonte and Eric Morgan, appeared in court on Tuesday. Both were denied bond.
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