The bond for a man charged with shooting a Tarrant County sheriff's deputy was increased to $1 million Tuesday after criticism from police and local officials.
Leland Williams was arrested and charged Monday night with attempted capital murder for shooting sheriff's deputy Brent Brown, 35, who was recovering and in good condition in the John Peter Smith Hospital intensive care unit as of Tuesday afternoon.
Williams’ original bond was set at $100,000.
Tuesday morning, Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez criticized the amount on X.
Other critics included the Fort Worth Police Officers' Association and Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare.
Outrageous and completely unacceptable. https://t.co/rWRtf7Qopv
— Tim O'Hare, Tarrant County Judge (@TimothyOHare) November 28, 2023
Later that day, Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrels said his office requested the district judge raise the bond to $500,000.
"We are going to do everything we can to protect those who protect us," Sorrels wrote in a statement. "I am going to make sure that, like Officer Brown, we go the extra mile in seeking justice."
By the afternoon, less than 24 hours after Williams was arrested, his bond was set to $1 million.
Williams allegedly entered the Fort Worth Community Credit Union on 6454 Brentwood Stair Road at about 3:40 p.m. Monday where he and Brown exchanged gunfire, KERA News previously reported. Police said Brown was working as a security guard in full uniform at the time of the shooting.
Officers arrived minutes later. Police said Williams fled the scene on foot but was later arrested. He is currently in custody at the Tarrant County Corrections Center.
Brown was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital for surgery. He was recovering and in good condition in the hospital's intensive care unit as of Tuesday afternoon.
O'Hare announced the bond change on X Tuesday afternoon.
"The original bond was ridiculously low and totally unacceptable," he posted to X.
