An anti-violence worker was arrested and charged with possessing two AR-15-style rifles and a .38-caliber pistol-grip long-barrel gun after an overnight raid of his Englewood home, according to police.
The arrest happened Tuesday night in the 6300 block of South Sangamon Street.
Tyree Girdon, 42, was charged with four counts of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon — one count for each gun and one for the ammunition, according to police.
He was ordered held in lieu of $50,000 bail in a hearing Wednesday, according to court records.
Girdon works for Cure Violence — sometimes called CeaseFire. The group relies on “credible messengers” to reach those most likely to commit acts of violence and dissuade them from taking that path.
Girdon’s most recent felony conviction was for a charge of aggravated battery to a police officer in 2004. He was sentenced to probation in that case.
He had been charged with murder in 1996 and, after the case was dropped, charged again in connection with the same attack in 1998. He was then found not guilty. Documents in those cases weren’t immediately available.
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Girdon was hired by Cure Violence as a program services specialist on Nov. 9 and recently completed training as a “violence interrupter,” according to a statement from Cure Violence. The group said he is currently on administrative leave.