by Dollita Okine, Face2FaceAfrica.com
In 2023, Nakia Smith, a Chicago CRED volunteer, attempted to remove a weapon from circulation by turning it over to local police. Smith saw his actions as a way to help his community, but as a convicted felon, he is not allowed to possess a gun legally. He was subsequently charged with firearm-related offenses.
pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a weapon without a concealed carry license.
As part of the deal with prosecutors, Smith admitted guilt to a single count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, according to ABC Eyewitness News.
A judge handed down a one-year prison term, though Smith was granted credit for the seven months he had already spent behind bars.
His arrest came after the Chicago anti-violence volunteer said he was trying to remove a gun from the streets when he brought it to a South Side police station in 2023, expecting to surrender it without questions.
Instead, he was arrested and faced gun charges that could have resulted in decades in prison if convicted.
After being released from prison, Smith, 51, said he has dedicated the last 13 years to reducing gun violence on Chicago’s Far South Side. Smith, a father and convicted felon, works as a volunteer for Chicago CRED, a nonprofit dedicated to lowering gun violence in the city.
Smith claimed that in March 2023, he went to the 5th District station of the Chicago Police Department to turn in a gun he had taken off the streets.
“I know I did the right thing,” Smith told ABC Eyewitness News.
“God led me in there,” he added.
Despite his criminal history, Smith stated at the time that he thought he could turn in the gun without being questioned.
“My intention was to take my jacket off and hand it to them,” he said.
Prosecutors claim that Smith didn’t initially inform police that he was there to turn in a gun. However, Smith claimed that when he first requested to speak with a watch commander, an officer asked him why.
“I’m like, ‘Why do I have to go through to tell you, can I speak to a white shirt?’ And once she said that, I said, ‘I want to turn a gun in.’ Then she said, ‘Give me your ID … Freeze!’” Smith said.
Smith’s defense lawyer argued that officers had no probable cause to believe Smith had committed or was about to commit a crime before searching him and discovering the firearm in his jacket pocket.
However, police claim that because Smith was a convicted felon, he was breaking the law by carrying a firearm. He was taken into custody and accused of multiple gun-related crimes. He could spend up to 30 years behind bars if found guilty.
Smith was arrested and later released after posting a bond.
Smith supporters have criticized the prosecution, arguing that it may discourage others from turning in firearms.
According to Arne Duncan, co-founder of Chicago CRED and former U.S. education secretary, “the heroic thing was to get a gun off the streets, take it off a hothead, take it to the police station, and for that, he served 7 months in jail.”
The case, according to Duncan, raises questions about initiatives to persuade people to take guns out of their communities.
“We want guns coming off the streets. People know this story. How could I, in good faith, tell anyone else to go turn in a gun if you have a chance of getting locked up and having your life ruined?” Duncan said.
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