Judge Takes Calculated Risk with Lenient Sentence for Cambridge Rampage Suspect Tyler Brown

A Massachusetts judge acknowledged she was “taking a chance” on Tyler Brown, the suspect involved in a chaotic rampage in Cambridge, when she sentenced him after he attempted to kill a Boston police officer years before the recent shooting incident.

In a 2021 decision, Judge Janet Sanders handed Brown a prison term of five to six years, despite compelling victim impact statements that cautioned Brown “would hurt or at worst kill someone” upon reentering society, as reported by NBC10.

“Mr. Brown, I do realize that I’m taking a chance on you,” Sanders, who has since retired from her position as a Suffolk Superior Court Judge, stated in audio obtained by the news outlet.

“When experienced police officers and probation officers stand up and tell me, ‘This guy is a danger to the community,’ I take that seriously. I can’t foresee the future or predict what will happen after your release. But I recognize the risk I am taking here,” she added.

Sanders expressed hope, saying, “I just pray that my instincts are correct and that you possess the ability, intelligence, willpower, and support needed to avoid posing further danger to others, as you have in the past.”

Prosecutors had pushed for a 12-year prison sentence followed by five years of probation for the 2020 shootout involving Boston police, during which Brown admitted guilt to armed assault with intent to murder.

Rachael Rollins, the then-Suffolk County district attorney, said she was “disappointed” by Sanders’ sentence, believing the recommendation was “appropriate for the level of brazen violence committed.”

After Monday’s shooting, the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Union described the sentence as a “ball-drop.”

“The fact that the judicial system thought it prudent to show leniency to a wannabe cop killer 5-years ago is not only the definition of insanity but an undeniable insult to those who put their lives on the line everyday,” the organization wrote on X.

But retired judge Jack Lu defended the sentence handed out to Brown.

“It was not a failure of the justice system, it was the proper functioning of the justice system,” he told WBZ-TV.

“The judge doesn’t have a crystal ball. The judge doesn’t have extra sensory perception. The judge has to do what’s fair to everybody.”

Brown blasted one cop’s chest with a .40 Glock semiautomatic rifle in May 2020 after officers responded to a man wielding a weapon. He fired 13 rounds at officers and two could only return five rounds between them.

Brown, who was on probation at the time, pleaded guilty to eight charges in total and was released from prison on May 21 last year.

He had been discharged from McLean psychiatric hospital just three days before his alleged rampage, according to a police report seen by The Post.

“He has previously been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression,” the report said.

Brown, a known crack cocaine user, had reportedly told his parole officer he had relapsed and “was ready to end his life.”

The parole officer demanded a meeting with his client after Brown’s housemate said the perp was “off his rocker” and had been getting high.

They struggled to make contact with Brown – before managing to FaceTime, where he was seen wielding a semi-automatic rifle.

“These people are gonna f–king pay,” Brown allegedly said during the call. “I’m not going back to prison.” 

Brown reportedly called his parole officer again, where he claimed he was “repping his ‘shooter’s name’” while waving his firearm.

That was before he allegedly erratically fired at cars on Memorial Drive – injuring two men.

A Massachusetts State Police trooper in his cruiser and a Marine licensed to carry a gun arrived at the scene and found people jumping from their cars and taking cover.

The pair heroically charged toward Brown with their weapons and shot him multiple times. He was treated on scene by officers and brought to a local hospital.