Boston Councilor Blasts Soft-on-Crime Policies After Repeat Offender's Cambridge Shooting Spree

A Democratic Boston city councilor criticized soft-on-crime policies that let a man with a violent record walk free after a short prison term before he allegedly opened fire in Cambridge on Monday.

Tyler Brown, 46, remains in custody at a hospital, recovering from gunshot wounds to his extremities after firing 50 to 60 rounds into traffic on Memorial Drive in Cambridge early Monday afternoon. Video of the incident, which wounded four people including Brown, spread quickly online.

"There is absolutely no way this person should have been released on probation and/or parole," Boston Councilman Ed Flynn told Fox News Digital. "When you have a lengthy criminal record and you constantly continue to be convicted and engaged in criminal activities, there should be a long prison sentence for someone that continues to disregard rules of society."

Brown's violent history dates to 2014, when he was convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a knife, and witness intimidation.

In 2020, while on probation for those crimes, Brown fired 13 rounds from a .40 Glock semiautomatic handgun at four Boston police officers responding to a report of a man with a gun.

He pleaded guilty in 2021 to eight charges from that incident: armed assault with intent to murder; attempted assault and battery by means of discharging a firearm; three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon for pointing a firearm; unlawful possession of a firearm; and carrying a loaded firearm and possession of a large capacity feeding device.

Flynn, elected to the city council in 2017 after working for the Clinton administration, knows one of the officers involved from school.

An officer wrote in a victim-impact statement at the time, "I am a firm believer that when Mr. Tyler Brown gets out, he will hurt, or worse, kill someone," according to NBC Boston.

"We have to think of the victims and the survivors of violent crime before we sentence someone to prison, probation or parole," Flynn said. "And when a victim testifies about the violence used and the likelihood that this person will re-offend and engage in criminal activity, we have to hear that testimony, respect that testimony and implement a sentence that respects the victim and the survivor of crime."

"I don't think we did that in this case. In fact, I know we didn't do that in this case, but this is not an isolated case," he added.

Brown received five to six years in prison and three years of probation for the 2020 crimes. Then-Suffolk County District Attorney Rachel Rollins criticized the sentence by then-Suffolk Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders, who rejected her call for 10 to 12 years with five years of probation.

"When an individual commits serious, violent offenses that threaten the lives of our community members – which include members of law enforcement – I will advocate for their removal and detention. My office recommended a significant sentence for Mr. Brown given the nature of his offenses and the trauma and harm he inflicted," Rollins said in a statement then.

She expressed disappointment in the sentence and apologized personally to the officers and their families.

Flynn said police feel frustrated with policies that release offenders. "Police feel frustrated that the criminal justice system does not respect them and survivors of crime. Police want accountability, and they want the criminal justice system to work, and for the criminal system to work, we have to hold people accountable for their actions," he told Fox News Digital.

"It might be politically incorrect to do that. But we have to provide a safe and healthy environment for residents of the city, for our police, for our neighborhood, and for our neighbors."

Boston residents want criminals punished, Flynn said. "Boston is changing, and I think the residents are fed up, and they want us to be more aggressive in holding people accountable," he said. "They want the criminal justice system to work for survivors of crime, for victims of crime and for society at large. Right now, there is a perception that it works for criminals."

Flynn represents one of Boston's most progressive districts but faulted that wing of the Democratic Party. "The progressive base of the Democratic party is soft on crime and doesn't want to hold people accountable for their actions, and I think that's a mistake for the Democratic Party to ignore ongoing criminal activity in neighborhoods, because it creates destabilization of residents of neighborhoods and it contributes to a declining quality of life of residents in an unhealthy neighborhood," he said. "Residents deserve better than that."

A criminal complaint states Brown called his parole officer Monday morning and admitted relapsing on crack cocaine and wanting to end his life. The officer alerted police around 12:10 p.m. and went to his residence.

Brown was not home but called back via FaceTime, waving a semiautomatic rifle. He said, "these people are going to f---ing pay," and "I'm not going back to prison."

Around 1:30 p.m., Brown allegedly fired erratically on Memorial Drive, critically injuring two people in a vehicle.

A state trooper exchanged fire with Brown. A witness, a U.S. Marine and firearms instructor, also shot at him.

Brown had been released from a mental health facility on May 8.

He faces two counts of armed assault with intent to murder using a firearm, two counts of attempted assault and battery by discharge of a firearm, and multiple related gun charges.