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District Court Judge under fire after fugitive shot two HPD officers
Deon Ledet, 31, was accused of skipping out on bond and there's every indication from neighbors he knew the police would come looking for him and he had no intention of going quietly, critics say he should have never been free.
HOUSTON - A day after a Houston police officer was killed, and another shot and injured, as they tried to serve an arrest warrant, attention has turned to the Harris County judge who set the suspected fugitive free on a low bond.
Deon Ledet, 31, was accused of skipping out on that bond, and there's every indication from neighbors in the Northeast Harris County apartment complex where he was found, that he knew the police would come looking for him and he had no intention of going quietly.
MORE DETAILS: HPD officer killed, another wounded while executing warrant in NE Harris Co.
Houston Police Officers' Union executive director Ray Hunt is among the critics who say Ledet should never have been free.
"I put all of this, and all the blood from our officers, on Judge Greg Glass," says a livid Hunt.
Hunt argues that the death of senior officer Bill Jeffrey, the wounding of Sergeant Michael Vance, even the need of assisting officers to shoot and kill Ledet, was completely avoidable.
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HPD officer killed, another injured; possible suspect killed
Two Houston police officers were shot while serving a warrant Monday, one of them was killed, while the other is being treated in the medical center. FOX 26’s Tom Zizka tells us more about the suspected fugitive, who is believed to have been killed amid the gunfire.
Deon Ledet had seven prior felony convictions. Last November, he was charged for possessing and delivering drugs. Despite the DA's office asking he be held in custody, Ledet was freed on a minimal bond by 208th District judge Greg Glass.
RELATED: Man who shot, killed Houston police officer identified as wanted fugitive
In a frustrated response, the police officers' union has taken the drastic step of calling out Judge Glass, by name.
"You sit here and say, 'Why am I going out there and risking my life, knocking on this felons' door to try and put him behind bars when I know people like Judge Greg Glass are gonna' let this person right back out," says Hunt.
Retired Harris County judge Mike Fields is married to a police officer but is careful about sharing his thoughts about the case at hand.
"This was avoidable," he says.
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Taking a look at HPD shooter’s extensive criminal history
The man linked to shooting two HPD officers, killing one of them has been identified as Deon Ledet. He has a rap sheet with several felony convictions, so many are blaming a Harris County Criminal District Court Judge for Monday morning's deadly gun battle between a wanted fugitive and the two Houston police officers.
Still, despite the Texas constitution demanding reasonable bail be set, Fields says there 'are' provisions that would allow suspected dangers to the community, like Deon Ledet, to be kept in custody.
"Given what I've been informed about this individual, he would fall under those rare exceptions where bail could be denied," says Fields, "It's hard to understand, given all that we now know, why it wasn't."
MORE: Many blame district court judge for deadly police shoot out with wanted fugitive
Judge Glass isn't offering any explanation. His office told FOX 26, they had nothing to say. There are, also, limited ways to review these actions, in Texas. The state Commission on Judicial Conduct does not get involved with matters of judicial 'discretion.'
The strongest option is at the ballot box. That, however, requires voters to know what judges have done, and decide whether they support those decisions.
BREAKING BOND: MORE REPORTS ON SUSPECTS COMMITTING CRIMES WHILE OUT ON BOND