33-year-old Joel Bowman, who is currently facing multiple charges for firing shots at a Jewish school contractor in Memphis, had his hopes of an early release from custody dashed. This is following his inability to meet the $1 million bond conditions, which would have enabled him to seek proper mental health treatment outside of jail.
Bowman, through his attorney, Lauren Massey Fuchs, asked that the court reduce the amount to $100,000 to enable him to pay. However, Shelby County Judge James Jones Jr. denied the request after the authorities provided new incriminating evidence.
According to witness testimony, Bowman had previously broken into his former school basketball coach’s home and office with a gun, as well as another school, on the day he shot the contractor on July 31. He only headed for the school when he discovered the coach, Josh Kohane, wasn’t home.
When he arrived at Margolin Hebrew Academy-Feinstone Yeshiva of the South, no classes were in session, and he wasn’t allowed to enter the premises. However, a few contractors and staff were present.
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Based on the police’s account of events, Bowman walked around the school’s exterior before shooting twice at one of the construction workers. The following two shots he fired were outside the school just before he drove off. Fortunately, the contractor wasn’t hit in the shooting.
Law enforcement was able to track Bowman down at a location not so far from the school. In the course of apprehending him, Bowman was said to have pointed his gun at a cop while alighting from his truck.
It was at that point that the threatened police officer shot him in the chest, putting him in a critical condition. Bowman has now recovered from his injuries and is facing numerous felony charges, including aggravated battery, carrying a weapon on school property, and attempted second-degree murder. He has since pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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Fuchs has argued that Bowman is a mental health patient whose condition was triggered by the horrific death of his father at the hands of police officers 20 years ago. His father, who was fatally shot at their family home, was also holding a gun and was having a mental health episode.
According to Fuchs, Bowman needed quality medical attention outside detention and would not pose a flight risk or threaten anyone if he was placed under house arrest with GPS monitoring. She provided evidence of the robust support system of friends and family Bruman has, stating that they will ensure that he appears in court whenever necessary.
“It’s a tragedy that fate would have a soul like Joel’s endure what he did throughout his life. One of our best was dealt a hand that no one should be expected to play,” read a letter of support from Ariav Schlesinger, one of Bowman’s former schoolmates.
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However, Brandy Flack, the school’s executive director, kicked against Bowman’s release from custody. According to her, the teachers have lived in constant fear for their lives since the incident, even despite the safety measures the school had taken.
In her words, “I didn’t sleep last night. I’m very scared about how I will remain safe and how I will keep the school safe if Mr. Bowman is released.” Josh Kohane and Brian Roachell, who was also a victim of Bowman’s house break-in on the same day, expressed similar fears.
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