Man who 'supplied gun' to two brothers charged in Chicago cop Ella French's killing is RELEASED after he posts $4,500 bond as top cop slams judge's decision: 'To say I'm disappointed is an understatement'
Jamel Danzy, 29, walked free on a $4,500 unsecured bond on Wednesday
Chicago's police chief has voiced his fury after a man accused of supplying the gun that killed one of his cops and gravely wounded another was set free on a light bond.
Jamel Danzy, 29, walked free on Wednesday after U.S Magistrate Judge Jeffery Gilbert gave him a $4,500 unsecured bond on charges in relation to the fatal shooting of Officer Ella French.
Danzy, who once dressed as a cop for Halloween, is accused of illegally supplying the semiautomatic handgun that brothers Monty Morgan, 21, and Eric Morgan, 22 allegedly used in the shooting during a traffic stop on Saturday on the South Side. The Morgan brothers are being held without bond.
'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,' Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said in a statement. 'It is an outrage.'
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown slammed Danzy's release on bond as 'an outrage'. Danzy is accused of illegally supplying the semiautomatic handgun used to kill a cop
Photos from 2019 show Danzy dressed as a police officer for a Halloween costume, smiling broadly and posing for the camera in a moment of lighthearted fun
Monty Morgan, left, and his brother Eric were arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Ella French on Saturday. Monty is the alleged triggerman and is facing a top charge of murder of a peace officer
Ella French's death was the first fatal shooting of a Chicago officer in the line of duty since Mayor Lori Lightfoot took office
Brown added that '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.'
U.S Magistrate Judge Jeffery Gilbert released Danzy on a $4,500 unsecured bond
Danzy is accused of buying the weapon from a licensed gun dealer in Hammond, Indiana, in March and provided it to an Illinois resident who he knew could neither buy nor possess guns because of a felony conviction.
He was arrested Sunday and charged with conspiracy to violate federal firearm laws.
In an interview with CBS Chicago, Danzy said that 'things happen for the wrong reason' and insisted: 'I'm not a criminal. I'm a good person.'
Danzy is a teacher's aide in a Head Start preschool program in Merrillville, Indiana and has a master's degree. He has no criminal record.
Photos from 2019 show Danzy dressed as a police officer for a Halloween costume, smiling broadly.
'I really don't want to talk more about it. It happened, so I'm out, and I'm happy that I'm out and everything – so I'm happy to see my family,' he said of making bond.
In an interview with CBS Chicago , Danzy said that 'things happen for the wrong reason' and insisted: 'I'm not a criminal. I'm a good person'
Danzy is a teacher's aide in a Head Start preschool program in Merrillville, Indiana and has a master's degree. He has no criminal record
Asked how he feels about the fatal shooting with the gun he is accused of buying, he responded, 'I don't even want to discuss it. I just feel truly bad about the situation and that's it,'
'I'm truly devastated still, because I wouldn't want that to happen to anybody,' he added.
Danzy's brother, Roderic Hopkins, also spoke to the CBS affiliate in his defense.
'My brother is not a criminal. He's a very educated person,' Hopkins said. 'My brother goes to work every day. He loves kids. He loves his family; loves his friends. He wouldn't hurt nobody.'
Monty Morgan - previously identified as Emonte Morgan - is jailed without bond on first-degree murder of a peace officer, attempted murder of two other officers, unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon charges.
His brother, Eric Morgan, also was ordered held without bond. He is charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and obstruction of justice.
Danzy was not in the vehicle and was arrested later. As part of his bond, Danzy also was ordered to be under court supervision.
'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,' Brown said.
Officer Ella French (left and right) was killed during the shooting at a traffic stop, while her partner is in critical condition after being shot twice in the head
The new footage shows the moments before Emonte Morgan allegedly fired at the officers
Chicago police officers turned their backs as Mayor Lori Lightfoot tried to approach them during a vigil held at the University of Chicago Medical Center following the shooting of two police officers
The fatal shooting of French, which also left a male officer fighting for his life with two gunshot wounds to the head, has inflamed tensions between police and local leaders.
The local police union boss blamed Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, for the tragedy, saying her 'soft' approach to crime and tough attitude towards cops emboldened criminals.
He also said that dozens of officers were justified in turning their backs on the mayor as she approached them at University of Chicago Medical Center on Saturday.
'A violent individual who was encouraged to do violent things by the people who run this city and state,' Catanzara told Fox News, implicitly referring to Lightfoot and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, both Democrats
He slammed Lightfoot, saying that she lost the respect of CPD rank-and-file despite the mayor's comments over the weekend that 'police officers aren't the enemy.'
'She's a flag in the wind,' Catanzara said, suggesting that Lightfoot lacks any political backbone.
'For two-and-a-half years that she's been mayor, she has vilified the police,' he said. 'Now because the political climate says that the defund policy and the police aren't the enemy - now she has to pivot and now she has to be our best friend? It's too damn late.'
He added: 'The men and women of this police department have no respect for this mayor and it was as palpable as you could possibly imagine outside that hospital at the University of Chicago.'
John Catanzara , the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge #7, told Fox News that the dozens of officers were justified in turning their backs on the mayor, Lori Lightfoot , as she approached them at University of Chicago Medical Center on Saturday
Cops are seen mourning the shooting death of Ella French in images posted to Twitter
Catanzara said that Lightfoot was told by the grieving family of the fallen officer, Ella French, not to speak to them.
In a statement to DailyMail.com earlier this week, a spokesman for the mayor acknowledged that 'emotions run high' in a time of tragedy, but added 'now is not the time for divisive and toxic rhetoric or reporting.'
'The Mayor is focused on healing the wounds and will reject any and all that try to use this moment to drive further divisions in our city,' the spokesman said.
'The Mayor remains committed to continuing supports for our dedicated and heroic police officers who risk their lives every day to keep all our neighborhoods safe from senseless violence,' he added.
Meanwhile, a former top police official has slammed the Chicago Police Department after it was revealed that a 'sacred' ritual was skipped after the shooting death of Ella French over time concerns.
Garry McCarthy, the department's former superintendent, told Fox News that officers 'feel under attack by politicians' after French's body was taken directly to the medical examiner's office for her autopsy without a guard of honor.
He claimed they avoided drawing their weapons to honor their fallen colleague - as is tradition - over fears they'd have to file a report for doing so, as part of new police reform laws.
French, 29, was shot dead and her partner was critically injured during a routine traffic stop on Saturday.
After her death, First Deputy Police Supt. Eric Carter - the department's second-in-command - demanded the Chicago Fire Department ambulance carrying her body to head straight for the medical examiner's office, bypassing a bagpipe procession.
'We don't have 20 minutes for this s**t,' Carter can be heard saying on a recording obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
'We're not waiting on the bagpipes. Go ahead and get the vehicle inside. Take it all the way inside. Do not stop.'