He shot a woman while wearing an ankle monitor during SAFE-T Act 'free movement' time, officials say

A person on digital monitoring after Chicago police and federal brokers allegedly discovered him possessing a machine gun and 170 stolen catalytic converters shot a girl in Humboldt Park this month whereas on “important motion” outdoors his residence as afforded to him by the SAFE-T Act, officers mentioned. Deshawn Neal, 42, is charged with tried homicide.

Round 11:50 a.m. on January 21, the 36-year-old sufferer and a second particular person had been touring in a automotive within the 3900 block of West Iowa Road when Neal allegedly adopted the sufferer’s car and fired a number of pictures at it, based on prosecutors. A CPD report mentioned bullets struck the sufferer in each thighs.

The sufferer is aware of Neal and recognized him, prosecutors mentioned. On condition that data, detectives contacted the sheriff’s workplace to be taught extra from his GPS-equipped ankle monitor.

“A assessment of Neal’s motion historical past confirmed that on the time of the taking pictures, his ankle monitor traced to inside 300 toes of the scene of the taking pictures after which traced again to his residence,” a sheriff’s workplace spokesperson mentioned. “Neal was not being monitored as a result of he was on free motion when the taking pictures occurred. Because of this, there was no location that Neal was not allowed to be. Below the SAFE-T Act, there are not any restrictions on motion for EM individuals throughout free motion hours.”

Chicago police arrested Neal this week to face tried homicide prices, and Choose Luciano Panici Jr. detained him Wednesday.

He was on pretrial launch for a case that started in December 2023, when Chicago cops and federal brokers investigating a catalytic converter theft operation executed a search warrant on a industrial storage within the 3300 block of West Cermak Highway.

They allegedly discovered 175 catalytic converters inside the situation, together with a rifle and a drum journal inside a locked merchandising machine. The rifle was outfitted with a change rendering it able to firing computerized machine gun fireplace, prosecutors mentioned, and Neal allegedly had the important thing to the merchandising machine on his particular person. A CPD report mentioned Neal was “self-employed” and the registered leasee of the property.

State prosecutors charged him with armed routine prison and aggravated possession of a stolen motorcar. Choose Charles Seashore, who has since turn into the county’s chief choose, ordered Neal detained.

Two months later, in February 2024, Neal’s lawyer filed a petition for his launch underneath the SAFE-T Act, arguing the state failed to supply clear proof that Neal dedicated the crimes with which he was charged as a result of Neal was an worker of the “auto store” for six years and the merchandising machine key was on a hoop of keys. Though the lawyer mentioned in a earlier submitting that Neal leased the “storage and enterprise” that police raided.

The movement additionally argued that the state didn’t show that the 175 catalytic converters had been stolen or that Neal was chargeable for their theft.

Choose Neera Walsh granted Neal’s launch on digital monitoring with permission to go to his baby at Lurie Youngsters’s Hospital “when crucial” and to get pleasure from “important motion” two days every week as supplied by state regulation, based on courtroom data.

In July 2024, Walsh gave him permission to work at two housing service places 5 or 6 days every week whereas on digital monitoring. In January of this yr, Choose James Novy expanded these work hours to 6 days every week, 8 a.m. to six p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to five p.m. on Saturdays, with further journey time to and from the work location additionally allowed.

The taking pictures occurred at 11:50 a.m. on a Wednesday, when Neal had permission to be at work.

On Wednesday, the sheriff’s workplace spokesperson famous that circumstances like Neal’s led Prepare dinner County Sheriff Tom Dart to unload the county’s digital monitoring program onto the chief choose’s workplace in April 2025.

“Sheriff Dart introduced he would not function the EM program as a result of the drastic enhance within the variety of individuals charged with homicide and different violent crimes, together with the necessary free motion and different adjustments pressured upon this system by the SAFE-T Act, made it not possible to make sure public security,” the spokesperson famous.

Neal is the primary particular person accused of taking pictures somebody in Chicago this yr whereas on felony pretrial launch.

The “not horrible” collection

This report continues our protection of people accused of killing, taking pictures, or making an attempt to kill or shoot others on pretrial launch for a felony allegation. CWBChicago started our collection of experiences in November 2019 after then-Prepare dinner County Chief Choose Timothy Evans publicly acknowledged, “We haven’t had any horrible incidents happen” underneath the courtroom’s bond reform initiative.

The precise variety of murders and shootings dedicated by individuals awaiting trial for felony allegations is undoubtedly a lot increased than the numbers seen right here. Since 2017, CPD has introduced prices in lower than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, based on town’s knowledge. You’ll be able to see all the “not horrible” tales right here.

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