DETROIT – Deputies in Wayne County expressed strong disappointment and frustration when a man accused of firing shots at them was given a “ridiculously low” bond.
UPDATE: Bond more than doubled after emergency hearing
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“How can we expect our law enforcement officers to give their all to a job that tolerates nothing less (than) to risk their lives for us, when their lives aren’t even taken seriously?” Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans asked.
Officials said Alex Hailey, 18, was driving erratically Jan. 18 and cut off a fire truck that was responding to an emergency. They said after deputies pulled him over, he fired shots at their vehicle, hitting it twice.
Hailey was taken into custody after a brief chase involving Wayne County deputies and Detroit police officers, according to authorities.
After his arraignment, Hailey was given a personal bond of $100,000 with tether by the magistrate overseeing the case.
“This young man could have murdered someone, and it appears he didn’t have a problem with that,” Evans said. “But if he didn’t have a problem with it, you would think that whoever was responsible for administering justice in this case would have had a huge problem with it. This decision by the magistrate says otherwise, and that is troubling.”
Hailey is facing two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, two counts of felonious assault, one count of third-degree fleeing and eluding, and four felony firearm violations.
“Being issued a personal bond does not require the suspect to pay any money to be released,” a statement from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office reads. “Both (Evans) and (Wayne County) Sheriff Raphael Washington expressed frustration and disappointment with what they viewed as a woefully inadequate response to the threat posed by an individual who was trying to critically injure or possibly even kill law enforcement officers.”
“I’m deeply disappointed by this ridiculously low bond,” Washington said. “A personal bond given to any individual who is accused of shooting at police officers is outrageous. You shoot at deputies and you get to go right back onto the street and endanger the public? This is not acceptable.”
Washington said he believes the message being sent is that attempting to murder police officers is not an egregious enough act to warrant a person being held for trial or, at the very least, being issued a bond that reflects the violent nature of their alleged acts, according to the release.
When officials from the sheriff’s office learned about the bond, they immediately began making calls to try to set up an emergency bond hearing.
