The nonprofit organization responsible for freeing a man who nearly killed an Asian restaurant worker has closed its Las Vegas chapter after being sued.
Rashawn Gaston-Anderson, 24, was arrested in November 2021 for burglary and robbery, but was released by The Bail Project after his $3,000 bail was posted.
Less than a week after his release, Gaston-Anderson walked into a restaurant and opened fire on an Asian waiter, shooting the man nearly a dozen times.
The organization, a non-profit organization focused on paying ‘bail for people in need, reuniting families and restoring the presumption of innocence’ is endorsed by celebrities like Richard Branson, Danny Glover and John Legend.
Rashawn Gaston-Anderson, 24, was arrested in November 2021 for burglary and robbery, but was released by The Bail Project after his $3,000 bail was posted.
Less than a week after his release, Gaston-Anderson nearly killed Chengyan Wang. He entered the restaurant where the innocent man worked and opened fire.
Earlier this year, Gaston-Anderson’s assault victim, Chengyan Wang, filed a lawsuit against the man and The Bail Project for posting his bail despite his criminal past.
Katie Poor, deputy general counsel for The Bail Project, doubled down on the organization’s mission of freeing the innocent until proven guilty, even as the organization rocked its Nevada chapter.
In November 2021, Gaston-Anderson was arrested by officers for pandering and carrying a concealed load, according to court records.
He was allowed to walk without bail at that arrest and advised to stay out of trouble in the future.
The next day, he was arrested again in Las Vegas for robbery and theft.
That’s when The Bail Project stepped in.
The Bail Project’s deputy general counsel, Katie Poor, said the organization is committed to releasing the innocent until proven guilty.
Bail Project’s website now doesn’t show any chapters in Las Vegas after it was shut down due to ‘restructuring’
The group, which seeks to disrupt the cash bail system, posted the $3,000 bond set by Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Amy Chelini.
Six days after being released from jail, Gaston-Anderson walked into the Shanghai Taste restaurant and shot Wang 11 times.
Wang previously said he was hit seven times and told Las Vegas news 3 in March that bullets pierced one of his lungs and his stomach.
Miraculously, the waiter survived and underwent rehabilitation for his injuries.
“I can still vividly remember when the first police officer on the scene immediately helped me stop the bleeding on my neck,” Wang said in an interview. And he helped me put pressure on others.
In the lawsuit, Wang’s lawyers say The Bail Project “failed to use due diligence to determine whether Rashawn Gaston-Anderson would be a danger to the community and likely to reoffend.”
Wang previously said he was hit seven times and told Las Vegas’ News 3 in March that the bullets pierced one of his lungs and his stomach.
In January, Cameron Pipe, Western regional director for The Bail Project, called the incident “shocking” and “tragedy.”
“It’s an absolute tragedy and The Bail Project, myself speaking for The Bail Project, found it absolutely shocking,” Pipe said.
a local exit asked Pipe earlier this year how a decision like the one made regarding Gaston-Anderson’s release could be made.
“Every decision we make at The Bail Project goes through the exact same extensive review,” Pipe said at the time.
Actors Richard Branson and Danny Glover are on the advisory board of The Bail Project.
Musician John Legend is also on the advisory board and is “an advocate for racial justice and criminal justice reform,” according to his bio.
The owners of Aztec Bail Bonds also spoke with 8News Las Vegas and said they are skeptical of the process and the mission.
“I don’t think they care and they really don’t care because a man almost lost his life,” Lilia Ceballos said.
“We pick and choose who we want to do business with. We just don’t rescue the usual problem cases,” Manny Ceballos told the outlet.
Since February 2021, The Bail Project has released 51 people in Las Vegas, according to a spokesperson.
91 percent of those who have been rescued have returned by court date, the spokesperson said.
The Bail Project’s deputy general counsel, Katie Poor, said her organization is committed to providing resources and releasing the innocent until proven guilty.
“We provide free assistance with bail and what we call supported community release that includes travel to and from court, court notices, and we try to navigate services in the community based on our clients’ self-identified needs.”
This is the photo that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department released of Gaston-Anderson after the restaurant shooting.
Gaston-Anderson had previously stated that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and that the Bail Project did not offer him any services for his mental health issues.
Poor told 8News in December that he could not comment on any other aspect of the man’s case due to pending litigation.
Gaston-Anderson initially escaped, but was identified as a suspect and arrested a week after the December 20, 2021 shooting.
“I can still vividly remember when the first police officer on the scene immediately helped me stop the bleeding on my neck,” Wang said through an interpreter. And he helped me put pressure on others.
On October 31, Gaston-Anderson pleaded guilty to charges of attempted robbery with a deadly weapon and mutilation with the use of a deadly weapon.
The guilty plea guarantees that he will serve between seven and 18 years in prison.
According to The Bail Project websiteThe organization believes in ending cash bail, calling the issue “one of the defining issues of civil rights and racial justice today.”
“Together with our direct services and rescues, we use the power of human stories and data to make the public case for ending cash bail and investing in communities and alternatives to incarceration,” the group’s website states.