A man with 18 prior arrests allegedly entered a Bronx courthouse with a loaded handgun concealed beneath his clothing Monday before threatening officers who tried to remove him, according to a criminal complaint.
The security breach occurred around 11:10 a.m. on Sept. 21, when Jamal Frett, 26, allegedly brought a black Ruger pistol loaded with five rounds into the Bronx County Hall of Justice, court documents state.
Frett later went to Justice Guy Mitchell’s courtroom, where officers said he began behaving disruptively, according to the complaint and sources familiar with the incident.
A court officer reportedly saw Frett using his cellphone and speaking loudly, violating courtroom rules and disturbing the proceedings, the complaint states.
As officers escorted him from the courtroom, Frett allegedly became confrontational and issued threats, according to the court papers.
“Don’t f–king touch me, come see me outside, you want some,” Frett allegedly shouted while resisting officers’ efforts to place him in handcuffs.
During the struggle, officers discovered the handgun concealed in Frett’s waistband, according to prosecutors.
Frett was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including several counts of criminal possession of a weapon. He was ordered held in custody.
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The Bronx District Attorney’s Office referred questions about courthouse security to the state Office of Court Administration.
The Unified Court System has launched an internal review to determine how the firearm entered the secured facility, OCA spokesperson Al Baker said.
Security footage reportedly showed that Frett told officers he was wearing an ankle monitor and underwent a pat-down after setting off a magnetometer, Baker said.
“Officers, using a handheld scanner, patted Mr. Frett down and discovered no immediate presence of a weapon,” the spokesperson said.
After the gun was found, the NYPD and the New York State Parole Bureau were notified immediately, Baker added.
It remained unclear why Frett was at the Bronx courthouse Monday. However, the incident marked another encounter with the criminal justice system for the repeat offender.
Frett has been arrested 18 times, including 12 arrests involving felony allegations, sources said.
He last appeared in court on Sept. 8 in connection with a pending case. Frett and other defendants are accused of slashing a woman in the head as she walked to a supermarket on April 30, according to sources.
It was not immediately known whether Frett had legal representation.