The man who played a great role in the deaths of two Chicago officers who were struck by a train during a chase would probably be free soon after posting a $200,000 bond.
Edward Brown, 24, is facing felony charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon after firing a gun that prompted both officers to investigate an area of train tracks where they ended up being struck and killed by a commuter train.
Police said Brown was pursued by Officers Eduardo Marmolejo and Conrad Gary after ShotSpotter detected gunshots in the area. A chase ended on the tracks with officers aware of one train but not another coming behind them. That train ended up killing them both.
Prosecutors say Brown was heading home from work when he found a .380 caliber handgun in an alley. Prosecutors say Brown later took the gun to train tracks near 103rd and Dauphin.
“Once on the train tracks the defendant then fired the handgun once into the air," assistant state's attorney Guy Lisuzzo said. "That was detected by the shot spotter system employed by the Chicago Police Department."
Brown who has lived with his mom his whole life, went to a good school and police said he has no criminal history is just $20,000 short of securing his release.
“He's hanging in there,” said his attorney, Frank Koustoros. “You know, nobody wants to be in jail, but he's hanging in there.”
The possible releasing news sparkled the rage of the Fraternal Order of Police who believe that Brown was committing a crime when he fired the gun and should be charged as a murderer.
“We are continually disappointed with the Kim Foxx administration when the police are the victims of crime," a spokesman for the union added, referencing the Cook County State Attorney.
Brown would get three years in prison if convicted.
