Chicago police Superintendent David Brown late Wednesday issued an angry statement against a federal judge’s decision to release the man accused of making a straw purchase of the gun used to kill Chicago police Officer Ella French.
Jamel Danzy, (pictured right) who faces federal charges of conspiring to violate firearms laws, was granted a $4,500 appearance bond pending trial, meaning he will not need to pay bail to get out of custody. At a brief hearing conducted by telephone, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert on Wednesday noted Danzy’s steady employment history and lack of criminal background.
Brown was not impressed with the choice, issuing a statement to the media.
“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,” Brown said. “It is an outrage.”
The decision sets a dangerous precedent, Brown’s statement continued, “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.”
As part of the terms of Danzy’s release, he cannot have contact with the man for whom he allegedly straw-purchased the gun. Danzy allegedly told investigators he was in a relationship with that man, who is referred to in court documents as “Individual A” but is known to be Eric Morgan, the brother of French’s alleged killer.
“No contact with this person, Mr. Danzy, direct or indirect,” Gilbert said. “(Not) by person, by telephone, by letter, by email, by social media, by hand signals, by smoke signals, by carrier pigeon, no contact at all with that person under these conditions.”
French was killed and her partner was critically wounded Saturday after a traffic stop in West Englewood.
Two brothers have been charged in connection with their alleged roles in the shooting: Emonte Morgan, who faces charges including murder and attempted murder, and Eric Morgan, who faces weapons charges and obstruction of justice. Cook County prosecutors say Emonte Morgan shot the officers, then handed the gun to his brother, who ran to a nearby yard where he was held by residents until police arrived.
A Glock semi-automatic pistol was recovered from the yard near where Eric Morgan was arrested, Cook County prosecutors said, which matches federal prosecutors’ allegations that “Individual A” was arrested with the gun after French’s shooting.
Shortly after the shooting, investigators traced both the gun and the car to Danzy, a restaurant worker in northwest Indiana, according to the federal complaint.
Records showed that Danzy bought the gun in March from a licensed dealer in Hammond, where he claimed to be buying the weapon for himself, according to the complaint.
Agents for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Sunday tracked down Danzy at the restaurant where he works, and he agreed to be interviewed on tape in an agent’s car in the parking lot.
Agents showed him the paperwork from the dealer, and at first, he claimed to have bought the gun for himself, the complaint states. But “after further questioning,” he admitted he had bought it for someone in Chicago — Eric Morgan — who had a felony record and could not buy a gun for himself.
Danzy told officials that he and Morgan have been in a relationship for about three years, according to the complaint. Morgan gave Danzy money and told him exactly the type of gun he wanted Danzy to purchase for him, the complaint states.
And he went to Indiana to pick up the gun shortly after Danzy purchased it, according to the complaint.
And months later, on Saturday night, both Morgan brothers were taken into custody after the traffic stop where French was killed and her partner wounded.
Brown said the amount of illegal guns in Chicago and across the country is helping to drive an ongoing violence spike.
“The role of the justice system, particularly that of federal prosecutors and judges is more important than ever,” Brown said in the statement. “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.”
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He is black, which gives him a get out of jail free in the Democrat ruled Chicago.
Hold on, i thought only WHITES had “special privileges!”
Ah, the streets of Chicago, the criminals running the streets of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot’s crime has gone down in Chicago (what a joke), as the politicians release criminals onto the streets and as the politicians will not prosecute criminals. Lori Lightfoot is well protected by security, unlike the law abiding citizens, who suffer, as a result of no police protection, because of Lori Lightfoot’s policies.
IF it was in my power to do so.. I WOULD CHARGE THIS JUDGE as an accessory after the fact!
Chicago is a lost cause from the mayor to the judges to the fools that vote them into office.
A lot of the cops have retired early or quit. Smaller cities in red states may not pay as much but they are much more likely to back their cops and they are ready and willing to hire. Time to go.
So, we have another article on here today—“The Death Of Education”—then we look at the actions of this judge. Here is a man with a bit more education than most with emphasis on the law. He didn’t just walk out of college and become a judge—there is a process to get to such a position. My point is—he knows better.
It seems it is as much the death of common sense as it is the death of education. Education by itself is all fine and good, but good common sense runs hand-in-hand with it People are just not thinking any more and when people in high positions make decisions that impact others—maybe even society as a whole—it needs to be done with clarity, insight, and intelligence.
I believe that you are being far too kind to those who truly wish evil to be visited upon We The People.
Persons we elect to a position of some power are thought to “know better”. They are usually either trained to know better or have lived long enough to know better. The thing is, regardless of their past, they are expected to uphold the letter and spirit of the law.
When a judge does this in the atmosphere of gun control at all costs it becomes evident they are working to oppose law and order.
I don’t know how you are getting that out of my comment, but that is certainly not what I stated.
“My point is—he knows better.”
I was more or less agreeing with whomever posted that statement.
JUST BECAUSE he is supposedly “EDUCATED”, does NOT mean he should know better.. FOR ALL WE KNOW HE graduated at the BOTTOM OF HIS CLASS!
It’s not the selling of the gun it is that he is not a gun store owner who we can fine and make money.
If I read the article right, he admitted he bought the gun for a convicted felon. This is a crime. It is not illegal to buy a gun and sell it to someone who is not prohibited from possessing a gun.
This type of ****, releasing criminals, is a primary reason that many of our cities, including Chicago. St Louis, Oakland, New York (and others) are “death capitals” of the US! No excuse for not holding criminals accountable when they do not follow established laws!
Chicago has a horrible crime problem. Chicago Leadership, especially their Moron Mayor, blames guns and demands ever-stricter gun laws. Now we have a clear case of someone Illegally buying a gun, straw-man purchase, and gives the gun to someone who then Murders a police officer! Then this person is released from custody! Okay Chicago, stop blaming guns and demanding more gun laws if you’re going to ignore and not enforce the laws you already have!
Now see, that’s an issue, he provided the gun, he’s an accessory after the fact, what’s with these judges, allowing this to happen…
IF anything, the JUDGE HIMSELF< should be seen as an accessory!!
Take a page out of the book that told Lot and his family to flee from Sodom and Gomorrah. Get the hell out of Chicago. On another note, watching the “Field of Dreams” game last night, A-Rod was quick to make a reference that all home runs making history were done by AFRICAN-AMERICANS. He is much too modest. From a standpoint of special interest group accomplishments, he could easily have topped his statement about an irrelevant game activities by touting the thousands of shootings in Chicago all by AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
” At a brief hearing conducted by telephone, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert on Wednesday noted Danzy’s steady employment history and lack of criminal background.”
He doesn’t have a criminal background because Judges like you refuse to give him one. In case you missed it, what Danzy did was against the law.