By Mack Callahan
There are bad decisions… and then there’s a résumé.
Tre Deshawn Bolden’s latest booking (April 21, 2026) reads like someone hit “randomize charges” and just kept clicking:
- Aggravated assault on law enforcement with a deadly weapon
- Fleeing and eluding — including driving the wrong way
- Reckless driving
- Drug distribution (marijuana under 25g)
- Drug paraphernalia use
- Interference with law enforcement
- Traffic violations for good measure
Bond: NO BOND across the board.
And if that feels like a lot, it’s because it is. But the real story isn’t just what happened this week — it’s the pattern.
A HISTORY THAT DOESN’T WHISPER — IT SHOUTS
Let’s rewind.
Back in 2020, Bolden wasn’t just catching minor charges. He pleaded guilty to:
- Criminal discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle causing great bodily harm
- Aggravated battery causing serious injury
- Plus property damage
That’s not a misunderstanding. That’s not a paperwork error. That’s violence with consequences — at least on paper.
He was sentenced to 52 months with the Department of Corrections, with credit for time served and post-release supervision.
Before that?
- 2019: Endangerment charges involving risk of serious harm
- 2020: Battery conviction (30 days jail)
- 2016: Domestic battery conviction
This isn’t a one-off. It’s a timeline.
AND YET… HERE WE ARE AGAIN
Fast forward to now — and we’re back in the booking logs.
Again.
Only this time the allegations include assaulting law enforcement with a deadly weapon and actively fleeing police, reportedly going the wrong direction into traffic.
That’s not escalation — that’s continuation.
THE REAL QUESTION
At some point, the conversation stops being about one incident and starts being about the system itself.
Because when someone with:
- A firearm-related violent felony
- A history of bodily harm convictions
- Repeated probation issues
…ends up back in a situation involving another deadly weapon allegation and law enforcement confrontation, people are going to ask the obvious:
What exactly is the threshold?
CATCH. RELEASE. REPEAT.
To be clear — this isn’t a conviction. These are allegations, and the case will play out in court.
But the pattern? That part isn’t alleged. It’s documented.
And in Topeka, the phrase “catch and release” keeps showing up not as a slogan — but as a cycle.
One that, depending on how this case unfolds, may not be breaking anytime soon.
