KY activist tried to ‘intimidate’ candidate by opening fire in his office, indictment says
A federal grand jury has charged that a Kentucky activist and writer tried to “intimidate” a candidate for Louisville mayor and interfere with the candidate’s election efforts by opening fire in the man’s campaign office.
Quintez Brown, a 21 year old who’s well-known in the Louisville area as a racial justice advocate, faces federal charges of interfering with a federally protected right, and using and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence by shooting at and attempting to kill a candidate for elective office, according to the Department of Justice.
The charges stem from a Feb. 14 incident in which Brown allegedly fired several shots inside Craig Greenberg’s campaign office. Greenberg is running for mayor in Louisville.
“According to court documents, Quintez O. Brown, 21, of Louisville, discharged a firearm in an attempt to interfere with (Greenberg’s) mayoral campaign in Louisville and to intimidate (Greenberg) from campaigning as a candidate for mayor in the Louisville primary election,” prosecutors said in a news release Thursday.
Brown was detained by the FBI on federal charges Wednesday and booked in the Grayson County Detention Center, according to the FBI and jail records.
Brown was arrested by local police the day of the shooting and faced several state charges, including a count of attempted murder. But the Louisville Community Bail Fund posted Brown’s $100,000 bond so that he could be released from the Louisville jail.
The Louisville Community Bail Fund is operated by Black Lives Matter Louisville. The organization said in a statement that they posted the bond because Brown needed mental health help and he wouldn’t be able to get that help in jail. In addition to local activists, Brown’s attorney has also raised concerns about Brown’s mental health.
Brown was placed on home detention and ordered to wear a GPS monitor after his bail was posted, according to court records.
Brown made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday. The initial appearance will continue Friday, federal prosecutors said.
If Brown is convicted on the federal charges, he faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, prosecutors said. A federal district court judge would determine any sentence based on U.S. sentencing guidelines and other factors.