A man accused in a downtown Houston shootout Monday was released from jail days earlier with nowhere to go and nowhere to be until his next court date.
Parnell Bland’s release April 16 — part of a federal mandate to prevent low-income people accused of low-level crimes from languishing in jail — and the shooting that followed underscored a known but unaddressed dilemma: Some accused of low-level offenses may not get the mental health services and other resources they need before their release despite past intervention.
The 34-year-old, previously hospitalized over competency concerns , went on to clash with a Precinct 1 constable’s deputy, wounding her and being shot himself during a chaotic exchange of gunfire Monday outside an annex courthouse. He likely roamed the area for days, obtaining two guns by unknown means following his swift release from jail on the misdemeanor offense…