By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times - Thursday, February 17, 2022

A Black Lives Matter chapter took responsibility last week for the decision to post bond for an activist accused in the attempted assassination of a candidate for mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, saying that the alleged shooter “needed support.”

Black Lives Matter Louisville said that it bailed out 21-year-old Quintez Brown, a columnist and community activist accused of firing a 9mm Glock handgun at the campaign office of Democrat Craig Greenberg on Monday.

The Louisville Community Bail Fund, which is reportedly affiliated with BLM Louisville, paid the $100,000 bond set Tuesday by a judge after Mr. Brown was charged with one count of attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment. He has pleaded not guilty.

“The guy we bailed out needed support,” BLM Louisville tweeted in one of a string of Thursday posts on the group’s Twitter feed related to the case.

Mr. Greenberg responded to the news Wednesday with a statement saying that “like others who suffer from a broken system, my team and family have been traumatized again by this news.”

He and the four campaign workers at the headquarters were not hit, although a bullet grazed the candidate’s shirt.

“Our criminal justice system is clearly broken,” said Mr. Greenberg. “It is nearly impossible to believe that someone can attempt murder on Monday and walk out of jail on Wednesday. If someone is struggling with a mental illness and is in custody, they should be evaluated and treated in custody. We must work together to fix this system.”

Chanelle Helm, a BLM Louisville organizer and co-founder of the Louisville Community Bail Fund, cited worries about Mr. Brown’s mental health and safety, given recent deaths at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections.

“They are calling for this individual, this young man who needs support and help, to be punished to the full extent,” Ms. Helm told WHAS-TV in Louisville. “It is a resounding message that people are down for the torture that has taken place in our jails and prisons.”

Among those who criticized Mr. Brown’s quick release was David James, president of the Louisville Metro Council.

“We had an individual with mental health problems attempt to assassinate a mayoral candidate by walking into their office in broad daylight and firing at five people in an office,” Mr. James told the ABC-TV affiliate.

He added: “They are going to be responsible for what he may or may not do to anybody.”

Mr. Brown, an independent candidate for city council, had appeared on MSNBC and written columns as an intern for the Louisville Courier Journal, including a 2019 op-ed headlined, “Kentucky’s concealed carry law shows your life doesn’t matter to gun-loving Republicans.”

Mr. Brown was released on home incarceration with an ankle monitor.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said in a statement on WDRB-TV that Mr. Brown’s bond and release “have been decided independently by a judge.”

“Mr. Brown will be monitored by the Department of Corrections, consistent with Home Incarceration Program rules and regulations and any conditions set forth in the court order, including use of a GPS monitoring device and home checks. Alerts will notify HIP personnel if the device is tampered with or goes outside the geofence,” Mr. Fischer said.

Questions were also raised over whether Mr. Greenberg was targeted because he is Jewish.

“The Daily Beast reported that Brown had been meeting recently with a Black nationalist organization with a long history of antisemitic views,” said Republican adviser Scott Jennings in a Thursday op-ed.

“We don’t know for sure what led Brown to allegedly shoot at Greenberg, a prominent figure in Louisville’s Jewish community, but it is fair to ask whether this was a hate crime,” he said.

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.

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