The Houston Police Officers’ Union sounded off with a vengeance on Wednesday, February 26 after a local judge let a cop-killer go, letting him out of jail on bond despite his having been charged with capital murder in November of 2024 after he murdered a Harris County deputy in an ambush.
As background, the criminal is Dremone Francis. He is one of two charged with the murder of Harris County Deputy Fernando Esqueda. Over the objections of the prosecution and police, Judge Hilary Unger of the 248th District Criminal Court, set a $1 million bond for Francis. That bond consisted of $500,000 for each of the two charges he faced, capital murder and tampering with evidence.
Francis, who is a criminal previously convicted of manufacturing and delivering drugs, is now free to roam while out on bond. He has a history of not respecting the terms of release as well: in 2022, he had his probation “unsatisfactorily terminated.” So, a convicted criminal shown to cause problems when released was, after allegedly ambushing a police officer, released on bond.
Commenting on the alleged cop-killer being released on bond by the judge, the Houston Police Officer’s Union said, Fox News Digital reports, “This is not just a case of judicial incompetence—it is a disgraceful betrayal of public trust and a direct threat to every law-abiding citizen in Harris County.”
Continuing, the police union noted that the released criminal had murdered a police officer in cold blood, saying, “Let’s be crystal clear: Francis was not just some low-level offender – he was an active participant in the cold-blooded ambush and execution of a law enforcement officer.”
Building on that, the union asked in what cases a no-bond decision is justified if the cold-blooded ambush and murder of a police officer by a convicted felon doesn’t qualify for a no-bond ruling. The union said, “If this case doesn’t warrant a no-bond decision, then what does?”
Further, the union noted that the judge in this case has a history of undermining law enforcement officers with soft-on-crime decisions that put the criminals first and victims last. It said, “This is not an isolated case. Judge Unger has a history of prioritizing criminals over victims, undermining law enforcement, and making our streets more dangerous.”
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Further, the union added that judges like Judge Unger must be stopped, as if they are not stopped then “If we don’t stop judges like her now, we will continue to see repeat offenders and violent criminals emboldened by a system that refuses to hold them accountable.”
Still not done, the union vowed to not go silently into that good night on this matter, saying that it will stand firm on trying to hold Judge Unger accountability for what she has done. It said, “We will fight alongside the Harris County Deputies’ Organization (FOP 39) to demand real bail reform and judicial accountability.”
Concluding, the union said that the judge’s decision will not be forgotten and that locals hold her accountable, saying, “We will make sure that Judge Hilary Unger’s name is remembered for this reckless decision, and we will make sure the people of Harris County never forget it either.”
Featured image credit: Harris County Sheriff’s Office