COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — The Indiana man charged with shooting a cop in the head Tuesday when police came to put an end to his alleged crime spree is a military veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, his attorney said.
Daniel Brown, 42, accused in the Englewood standoff that left two officers wounded and another man dead, appeared briefly in court Friday to face the charges against him. A Cook County judge ordered him held without bail.
Officers from the Chicago Police Fugitive Task Force and U.S. Marshals were looking for Brown in connection with three attempted murders, two armed robberies, and auto theft on Tuesday, prosecutors said. At about 5:30 p.m., an anonymous tip took them to a home in the 7200 block of South Lowe Avenue.
Officers yelled, "Police, Police!", and tried to enter his apartment, prosecutors said. Brown, seen in the apartment window as police approached, immediately started shooting.
Officers called for backup, prosecutors said. Capt. Edward Kulbida, a 29-year veteran of the department, arrived to the scene and took cover in the building's vestibule.
Brown remained in the window, located directly above the vestibule, prosecutors said.
In an effort to warn officers to the scene, Kulbida pulled out his radio to warn the other officers about the gunman's location, prosecutors said. He stepped outside the vestibule door to find a signal.
As he spoke into the radio, Brown fired shots striking Kulbida in the head and shoulder, prosecutors said. The other officers pulled Kulbida back inside the building while Daniels continued to fire his gun at officers.
The standoff continued until 11:30 p.m. when officers forced their way inside the apartment, where they found 42-year-old Daniel Jackson, fatally shot during the exchange of gunfire, prosecutors said.
Authorities said Brown shot Jackson.
Brown was taken into custody and police recovered a 40-caliber Smith and Wesson pistol loaded with three live rounds, prosecutors said. The gun was purchased by Daniels in Indiana in 2012.
Kulbida, who prosecutors said still has bullet fragments lodged in his head, was taken to Stroger Hospital. He also sustained hearing loss, prosecutors said.
Brown was charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and another count of aggravated battery.
He was wanted in connection with the shooting of three people in separate incidents over the weekend in Indianapolis when police converged on the Englewood apartment, police said.
Brown agreed to return to Indiana to face charges against him there after the conclusion of the Chicago case.
An attorney representing Brown said during the court hearing that he is a military veteran who suffers from PTSD and bipolar disorder.
Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said during a press conference after Brown's arrest that the 40-mm caliber pistol used in the shootings was legally purchased in Indiana by Brown's girlfriend in 2012.
"This is another example that fits that pattern of store purchases that lead to violence in Chicago streets. It happens time and again where a convicted felon gets his girlfriend or family member to purchase a gun for them because they can't do it legally," McCarthy said.
A second officer was wounded in the exchange, McCarthy said. The officer, a detective, realized he was shot after returning home from a 36-hour shift. An X-ray showed a bullet fragment in his upper leg, McCarthy said. The detective was treated and released from an area hospital, McCarthy added.
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