ATLANTA — Three teenagers accused of armed robbery in Atlanta have been granted $70,000 bonds — over the objections of a former Marine who killed one of their alleged accomplices in a Memorial Day attack.

Thomas Autry testified yesterday at a bond hearing that he was surrounded recently outside his apartment by as many as eight teens who threatened him for getting their friends in trouble.

During the Memorial Day attack, Autry stabbed two of the would-be robbers and four teens wound up in jail. The fifth, a female, died of her injuries.

Autry urged Superior Court Judge Jackson Bedford to deny bond for 19-year-old Christopher Daniel and 18-year-olds Christopher Hayes and Kendall Barksdale. Autry said he’s afraid of them and their friends, who are suspected of belonging to a robbery ring.

A 16-year-old who is charged with the others with aggravated assault, attempted armed robbery and other crimes, was granted bond at an earlier hearing.

The judge noted that bond is meant not to punish but to ensure that a defendant reports back to court. But he said more threats against Autry would lead him to revoke the bonds.

Fulton County Jail officials said last night that bonds had not been posted for the three.

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Mr Autry recently had his day in court where he testified on Monday that he was surrounded recently outside his apartment by as many as eight teens who were upset that Autry fought back Memorial Day and called police after he was allegedly attacked by at least one of their friends.

In the recent incident at Autry’s home, one of the guys snarled: “That’s the dude who’s got our boy hemmed up,” Autry told Fulton County Superior Court Judge T. Jackson Bedford Jr.

Autry said one teen had a gun tucked into his waistband and raised his shirt to reveal it. They left after Autry shouted for his girlfriend to call police.

Autry came to court Monday to urge the judge to deny bond for Christopher Daniel, 19, Christopher Hayes and Kendall Barksdale, both 18, who police say are part of a menacing robbery crew that victimized Autry and others. Autry said he’s afraid of them and their friends.

“I have a nervous condition because of this incident,” Autry told the judge.
“My whole family is in fear.”

Judge Bedford refused to deny bond according to the local newspaper. The judge stated that his reasons for granting them this bond was that “he wanted them working rather than being idle”.

Judge Bedford also said it was a difficult decision but he felt compelled to grant bond to the teens, who are from supportive, middle-class homes and have no known history of violence”.

These kids confessed to robbing several other people. This group confessed that they had robbed two men on Piedmont earlier that night, before the bungled robbery according to the papers. There is no telling how many other undocumented crimes this group may have already committed and would continue to commit if they had not been caught.

Dozens of supporters — ministers, relatives, teachers and coaches — packed the courtroom and hallway to support the defendants.” These are the same types of people that have allowed and will continue to allow more innocent people like you and myself and our family members to become victims. I doing so I believe they are not only doing the public and themselves a disservice, but it is a disservice to these so-called kids as well. Not only is Thomas Autry lucky to still be alive when it was all done and said, but I believe these so-called kids were also.

The victim sat in front of them, but he left the courtroom upset after the judge gave the first defendant bond. Eventually the other two were granted bond. Conditions for all three included electronic monitoring.

“It is not my job to punish, but to protect the community,” Bedford said, pointing out that bond is meant to ensure that a defendant, who is presumed innocent, reports back to court.

“These are heinous crimes,” Bedford said. “And if these young men are responsible, there will be a time they will answer for them.”

My take on this is that since Mr. Autry was not lucky enough to get killed or seriously injured enough to hold these thugs until trial.

If Judge Bedford wanted to protect the community he would not have granted bond to these thugs. He might as well have been among the dozens of supporters for defendants who continue to place or lives at risk by not taking these types of crimes seriously. No telling how many criminals have gone through the penal system with Judges like Mr. Bedford who decisions places innocent people lives at risk and make our job as law enforcement officers harder.

My job is to fight to protect the innocent and put those who choose to become criminal where they belong.

Please help spread my message for change.

Together we will make a difference