Man Arrested in NYC Courthouse with Loaded Gun Concealed in Underwear

A man with a history of 18 prior arrests, including 12 felonies, was arrested in the Bronx County Hall of Justice after allegedly bringing a loaded handgun into the building and concealing it in his underwear. The incident occurred around 11:10 a.m. on September 21.

Jamal Frett, 26, reportedly passed through security and entered the courthouse with a black Ruger pistol containing five rounds. According to a criminal complaint, he proceeded to Justice Guy Mitchell’s courtroom, where he began behaving disruptively.

Court officers noticed Frett using his phone and speaking loudly, actions deemed disruptive to the proceedings. As officers escorted him out, Frett allegedly began to threaten them, shouting, “don’t f–king touch me, come see me outside you want some,” and resisted being handcuffed.

During the apprehension, officers discovered the handgun concealed in his waistband. Following the discovery, Frett was arrested and charged with multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon. He was subsequently remanded into custody.

An internal review is underway by the Unified Court System to determine how the weapon bypassed security measures. Al Baker, spokesperson for the Office of Court Administration, stated that security camera footage showed Frett walking through metal detectors before entering the building. Frett, who had been released from state prison in March and was on parole, was wearing an ankle monitor. According to Baker, security personnel patted him down with a handheld scanner after he set off a magnetometer, but no weapon was immediately detected.

The NYPD and the New York State Parole Bureau were notified after the gun was found. Sources indicated that the reason for Frett’s presence in the courthouse was unclear. His previous court appearance was on September 8 for a case involving an alleged slashing incident in April.