Antonio Brown, the father of seven-year-old Amari Brown – who was shot and killed this weekend – has been convicted of five felonies and seven other crimes in Cook County Criminal Court over the past dozen years.
NBC 5 Investigates has found that 29-year-old Brown has been charged in Cook County Criminal Court in 32 separate cases since 2003. In 12 of those cases he was found guilty. Five of those convictions were for felonies, all involving possession and dealing of narcotics like cocaine and heroin.
After his most recent arrest last April on multiple felony gun charges, he was released from jail the very next day after posting $5,000 on a $50,000 bond. He pleaded not guilty in that case. Before April, all of his previous charges were drug-related.
In contrast, Marilyn Hartman, the serial stowaway with no history of violence, is currently being held in Cook County on a $100,000.00 bond – twice that imposed on Antonio Brown, despite his criminal history, and despite the fact that Chicago police listed him as a “known” gang member.
In seven additional cases, Brown was convicted on misdemeanor charges for crimes including vehicle theft, criminal trespass, pot possession, resisting a police officer, driving on a suspended license and assault. All other cases were dropped.
NBC 5 Investigates also found that Brown has been arrested and charged in Kane County and is the defendant in at least one pending domestic violence case. He also has a long list of traffic arrests in Cook County, including 11 charges of driving on a suspended license.
Now city leaders say a little boy is dead because of a broken system.
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The bullet that struck 7-year-old Amari Brown on the Fourth of July while he was watching fireworks was meant for the boy's father, according to Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy.
"If Mr. Brown was in custody, his son is alive. That's not the case," McCarthy said.
Brown on the other hand says his rap sheet has nothing to do with his son's death.
“Don’t false accuse me of nothing,” Brown said of McCarthy’s statements. “He bogus. He bogus.”
Along with a visibly outraged Brown, his attorney David Gaeger also says his high arrest record doesn't paint the whole picture.
“To have his character assassinated like that while the blood of his son is still on his pants, it's inaccurate,” Gaeger said.
Both Mayor Rahm Emanuel and McCarthy have both said that Brown is not being cooperative in the investigation to find his son's shooter, something that Brown and his attorney vehemently deny, saying he was waiting to speak with detectives until his lawyer was present.
