Residents Urged To Attend Bond Review For Cop's Accused Shooter

CHICAGO — In the hours immediately following the shooting of Chicago Police Officer Danny Golden as he was trying to break up a fight in the early morning hours of July 10, word traveled swiftly around the 19th Ward that the 32-year-old officer had been left paralyzed.

“It was shocking to everyone to have that happen here in our community,” Ald. Matt O’Shea said. “What’s been truly amazing is the community’s response in the hours after the shooting. Dozens of neighbors and businesses came forward with security camera video. Unfortunately, it’s something we don’t see in other communities.”

On Thursday, Nov. 3, Bryant Hayes, 22, one of three men charged in the shooting of Golden, will be seeking a bond review for possible pre-trial release. Hayes is set to appear before Cook County Judge Diana Kenworthy, at 9:30 a.m. in room 203, in the Leighton Criminal Courts Building at 26th and California.

“I am asking anyone who is available to join me,” O’Shea said. “I think it’s important for our community to send a strong message to the judge that this won’t be tolerated.”

Golden was off-duty and celebrating completing a charity softball tournament at Sean’s Rhino Bar in Chicago, when Hayes and his friends – Justen Krismantis, 22, and Demitrius Harrell, 28 – got into a verbal altercation with some bar patrons, prosecutors said. The argument turned into a fight, which lasted about a minute before spilling out on to Western Avenue.

The off-duty Chicago police officer, who prosecutors said was not part of the verbal or physical altercation, was seen exiting the bar after the three men went outside. Several people were trying to break up the fight, including Golden, who was restraining another person from going after Hayes.

The crowd began to disperse when bar patrons followed the three down 104th Street. By then, the three men were no longer fighting with anybody. Golden and the bar patrons were captured on surveillance video walking away. A resident’s security camera captured Hayes handing a gun to Harrell. Prosecutors said Harrell fired at the departing bar patrons, hitting Golden in the middle of the back.

After they fled the scene, the prosecutor said the three men joked about the shooting over a group text recovered by Chicago police: “Let’s get drunk this weekend and start a bar fight,” and “The sh*t was fun they beat my ass too.”

Since their initial court appearance in July, the three men have been held without bail in Cook County Jail.

At the time of his arrest, Hayes was on supervision for misdemeanor fleeing and eluding police out of Maywood. Hayes is charged with assorted felony gun charges and attempted murder.

“There won’t be enough room in the courtroom, the lobby and the hallway,” O’Shea said, who has been attending the men’s hearings.

Those planning to attend in person should arrive well before the 9:30 a.m. court call because of the large number of residents expected. If you can’t attend the hearing in person, you may consider joining via Zoom using the information below:

Zoom Session ID: 982 881 78716
Zoom Password: 592583