Accused Texas cop killer returns to court after Dem judge freed him on bond in ‘slap in the face’ move: expert

A Texas antheral accused of murdering a constabulary officer successful July 2024 is acceptable to look successful tribunal Tuesday for the archetypal clip since helium was released connected $1 cardinal enslaved past week.

Judge Hilary Unger of the 248th District Criminal Court successful Texas, a Democrat, acceptable the enslaved for Dremone Francis successful November 2024 successful nonstop absorption to prosecutors' petition for a no-bond hold. Francis posted the enslaved magnitude and was released arsenic of Feb. 26.

"When I archetypal recovered retired astir this, I was stunned, I was mortified, and past I got really, truly aggravated due to the fact that successful my implicit 40 years of being progressive successful instrumentality enforcement and transgression justice, I person never, ever seen a suspect charged with superior execution of a constabulary serviceman ever released connected bond," Houston Crime Stoppers Director of Victim Services and Advocacy Andy Kahan told "Fox & Friends" connected Tuesday morning. "This is simply a slap successful the look to each instrumentality enforcement officers and to the nationalist successful general."

Francis is charged with superior execution and 2 counts of aggravated battle successful transportation with the fatal shooting of Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Fernando Esqueda. He is 1 of 2 suspects, including Ronald "Ronnie" Palmer Jr., successful Esqueda's killing. Palmer, whose enslaved has been acceptable astatine $3 million, has not been released.

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Dremone Francis is charged with superior execution and 2 counts of aggravated battle successful transportation with the fatal shooting of Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Fernando Esqueda. He is 1 of 2 suspects successful Esqueda's killing. (Harris County Sheriff's Office)

Esqueda was changeable and killed portion conducting surveillance successful an unmarked constabulary car successful July 2024. 

Francis and Palmer are accused of shooting astatine the deputy's car truthful galore times that it was riddled with slug holes, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said astatine the time. Esqueda was pronounced dormant astatine a section hospital.

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Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Fernando Esqueda successful azygous successful beforehand of a US emblem successful this representation provided by the sheriff. (Harris County Sheriff)

"From our perspective, you bash not merchandise an idiosyncratic who represents a nationalist information risk," Kahan said, adding aboriginal that Francis was connected probation astatine the clip of his apprehension and had already violated those terms.

"This conscionable sends a unspeakable connection to everyone, and particularly for instrumentality enforcement officers."

Francis is the archetypal superior execution fishy to station enslaved successful 2 decades, arsenic FOX 26 Houston archetypal reported. Capital execution is the lone transgression successful Texas successful which a justice tin contradict enslaved for a suspect if they truthful choose.

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"There are a batch of million-dollar bonds connected superior execution cases, radical conscionable don't marque them," Sam Cammack, Francis' attorney, told FOX 26. "And Mr. Francis' household made the enslaved for Mr. Francis. I deliberation what a batch of radical don't recognize is that he's nether 24-hour surveillance with GPS. He's nether location arrest, helium can't measurement retired connected his beforehand porch."

Ronald "Ronnie" Palmer Jr., who is charged successful transportation with the execution of Deputy Fernando Esqueda, has not been released connected enslaved similar his co-defendant, Dremone Francis. (Harris County Sheriff's Office)

Kahan called the thought that defendants can't region oregon tamper with ankle monitors "delusional."

"If you're going to merchandise idiosyncratic who's charged with superior execution of a constabulary officer, that is simply a menace to nationalist safety, and it shouldn't beryllium connected however overmuch wealth you have," Kahan said. "And adjacent if the justice felt that she had to acceptable a currency bond, she could person acceptable an illustration by saying, ‘You know, Mr. Francis, you are charged with superior murder. That means you’re looking astatine 1 oregon 2 outcomes if you are convicted: beingness without parole oregon adjacent the decease penalty. Therefore, I'm going to acceptable an astronomically precocious enslaved based connected those factors."

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Democratic Mayor John Whitmire connected Monday condemned Judge Unger's decision.

"HPD and our officers hazard their lives for our safety, yet convulsive offenders, including those charged with superior murder, are getting debased bonds," the politician said during a property conference.

Fox News' Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.