A BRIEF HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY

8/6/2019 A BRIEF HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY

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1965

FEBRUARY 21st

Malcolm X is assassinated by members of the nation of Islam who are

suspected to be FBI informants.

AUGUST 11-16th

The Watts Rebellion. On a red-hot August night in 1965, the Watts neighborhoodof Los Angeles exploded with racial frustration. Six days later, 34 people weredead, hundreds more injured and a wide swath of South-Central L.A. was scarred with burned-out buildings and looted stores.

Martin Luther King Jr. comes to calm the situation in Watts at a town hall meeting. For the first time in his career he is booed by Black people.

1966

AUGUST

In Watts the Negro Citizen Alert Patrol cruises South Central Los Angeles in Radio-equipped cars, monitoring police radio calls and observing police conduct. Their vehicles are marked To Protect and Observe.

OCTOBER 15th

In Oakland CA Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale write the first draft of the BlackPanther Party for Self-Defense (BPP) 10 - Point Program.

In prison, BUNCHY CARTER and his friend Eldridge Cleaver, decide that when theyare released they will start a west coast chapter of Malcolms Organization of Afro-American Unity.

1967

JUNE

The L.A.P.D. raid the Nation of Islam mosque.

BUNCHY CARTER is released from prison and goes to San Francisco to find that Eldridge has joined the Black Panthers.

AUGUST 1st

J. Edgar Hoover directs its counterintelligence program (COINTELPRO) to neutralize and destroy any attempts of Messiah rising amongst them.

OCTOBER


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BUNCHY CARTER begins to organize the Southern California Chapter.

OCTOBER 28th

In Oakland officer John Frey is Killed and offier Hervert Haines wounded in an altercation after stopping Huey Newton and Gene McKinney. Newton is also critica

lly wounded.

NOVEMBER 13th

In Oakland, the Alameda County grand jury indicts Huey Newton on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and kidnapping.

1968

JANUARY

The idea of an East and Westside chapter in L.A. is discarded. The Southern California chapter, (which stretches down to San Diego) of the BPP is organized withBUNCHY CARTER as deputy minister of defense.

FEBRUARY 17

A "Free Huey" rally is held at the Oakland Auditorium on Newton

s birthday. Morethan 5,000 supporters attend including Stokely Carmichael, H. Rap Brown, JamesForman, Ron Dellums, and Peace and Freedom Party representatives.

FEBRUARY 18th

A Free Huey rally is held in Southern California at the Sports Arena. The official announcement is made about the formation on the Southern California chapter.

FEBRUARY 24th

In Oakland BUNCHY CARTER along with David Hilliard, Anthony Coltrale, and AudreyHudson are arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon.

RONALD FREEMAN gets in an argument with US members at the Offices of the Black Congress over his right to use the restroom while they are giving a self-defenseclass.

US members shoot up RONALD FREEMANS house while his daughter and wife are present. Oakland Panther, Sherman Forte who is staying at RONALDs house is shot in the hand.

MARCH

ARTHUR GLEN MORRIS, brother of Bunchy Carter, is shot and killed by "agents" ofthe U.S. government. He is the first member of the BPP to be killed.


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ANTHONY COLTRALE is killed in Watts by a local police officer.

APRIL 4th

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is assassinated at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, TN.Riots occur in major cities across the country.

APRIL 5th

The L.A.P.D. raids the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) office while members attend a Martin Luther King, Jr., memorial service.

APRIL 13

Funeral services for Bobby Hutton (killed on April 6th by Oakland police) held at Ephesians Church of God in Christ on Alcatraz Avenue in Berkeley. More than 2,500 attend the funeral. Southern California Chapter Panthers from Los Angeles act as security.

AUGUST 5th

A Los Angeles shoot-out between police and Panthers leaves two Panthers killed.

AUGUST 25th

Three Panthers -- Robert Lawrence, Steve Bartholomew, and Tommy Lewis are murdered by Los Angeles police at a service station.

SEPTEMBER

J. Edgar Hoover declares the BPP the "greatest threat to the internal security of the country".

NOVEMBER 25th

FBI memo details plans to cause dissension between Los Angeles Panthers and United Slaves (US) under the leadership of Ron Karenga.

DECEMBER 30th


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Los Angeles Panther FRANK DIGGS is shot in the head and killed by police agents.

1969

JANUARY 17th

BUNCHY CARTER and Deputy Minister JOHN HUGGINS are assassinated in Campbell Hallon the UCLA campus, by US members.

JANUARY 17th

BUNCHY CARTER and Deputy Minister JOHN HUGGINS are assassinated in Campbell Hallon the UCLA campus, by US members.

JANUARY 17th

Later that day Los Angeles Panthers MELVIN CARL SMITH, ELMER G. P[RATT, ERICKA HUGGINS, RONALD FREEMAN, ELAINE BROWN, JOAN KELLEY and JANICE CULBERSON are arrested. They are questioned and held for five days on charges of possession of a deadly weapon with intent to commit assault. They were released and the charges against them dropped. The pretext of the police in making these arrests was to prevent a blood bath against the US Organization for the murders of BUNCHY and JOHN.

JANUARY 17th

Los Angeles Panther ROGER LEWIS was arrested without legal cause on a charge ofviolating Penal Code Sec. 148 when was merely stand and watching the arrest of the other Party members mentioned above. He was tried and acquitted of this charge.

JANUARY 17th

Los Angeles Panther WENDELL WOODS was arrested without legal cause on charges ofmurder and robbery. The charges were dropped and he was released.

JANUARY 17th

Los Angeles Panther YVONNE MOORE was arrested without legal cause on charges ofmurder and robbery. The charges were dropped and he was released.

JANUARY 24th

Funeral services for ALPRENTICE BUNCHY CARTER at Trinity Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

FEBRUARY 12th

Los Angeles Panther ROGER LEWIS was arrested without legal cause on a charge of


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possession of a concealed weapon. He was tried on this charge and acquitted.

FEBRUARY 26th

RAYMOND WILLIAMS was arrested without legal cause on a charge of possession of aconcealed weapon. He was tried on this charge and acquitted.

MARCH

In Los Angeles, inflammatory letters instigated by the FBI are sent to Panthersfrom US members.

MARCH 7th

Los Angeles Panther ROGER LEWIS was stopped without legal cause for an alleged traffic violation and then arrested on a charge of interfering with his own arres

t. The charge was subsequently dropped.

MARCH 14th

In Los Angeles following a student strike meeting at Victory Baptist Church, analtercation ensues in the parking lot between US members and Panthers. Panther Ronald Freeman is wounded in the chest and groin. Local police watch the fight from their vehicle parked across the street and do not intervene.

APRIL

The Los Angeles Panthers begin their Free Breakfast for Children program in honor of JOHN HUGGINS.

APRIL 25th

ALBERT ARMOUR was given a ticket for a traffic violation by a police officer inthe vicinity of the Watts Party office. Several officers then proceeded to enter the office and search it, all without a warrant and without legal cause. While they were illegally in the office, one of the officers was told to leave because he there illegally. The officer did not comply. A Panther pointed a gun at the officer and demanded again that he leave. Five Party members present, JOHN WILLIAM WASHINGTON, ALBERT ARMOUR, BYRON W. BARTLETT, JAMES RAY LEE and CHARLES JAMES, were all arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. They were held for two days and then released with the charges dropped. There-after WASHINGTON, BARTLETT and LEE were charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intentto commit murder. The Court dismissed the charge against BARTLETT.

APRIL 30th

Shortly after Los Angeles Panther ALBERT ARMOUR was released from the APRIL 25THincident, he was stopped by the Los Angeles Police for a defective taillight.Both he and his car were searched and he was arrested on a charge of possessionof a concealed deadly weapon, all without good legal cause. He was handcuffed a

nd taken to the police station. Later the charges were dropped.


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JUNE 5th

Los Angeles Panther ROBERT MAXWELL was arrested on a charge of robbery without legal cause and the charge was subsequently dropped.

JUNE 10

WAYNE L. PHARR was standing in front of the Watts Party office when a patrol carpulled up and two L.A.P.D. officers got out with guns drawn. Without any legalbasis therefore the officers approached PHARR and told him that he was under arrest for suspicion of murder. They indicated that they didnt know his name and they did not have a warrant. He was handcuffed, taken down to the 77th Street station where he was kept for about two hours and then released without any charges actually being filed against him. He was not booked but his picture was takenand he was fingerprinted before he was released.

JUNE 11

ROBIN CADELL was arrested on a charge of robbery with legal cause and the chargewas dropped.

JUNE 12

Los Angeles Panther ROGER LEWIS without any legal basis therefore, was arrestedon a charge of suspicion of murder of a Santa Ana police officer. He was held until the following morning and taken to a traffic court to appear on a traffic citation, which was no longer outstanding. He was then released.

JUNE 15

J. Edgar Hoover declares ...the Black Panther Party without question represents the greatest threat to the internal security of the United states.

JUNE 23rd

A car containing ELMER G. PRATT, ROGER LEWIS, EVON CARTER, GWEN GOODLOE and thetwo children of EVON CARTER, MICHELLE AND OSCEOLA, aged eight years and three weeks, was stopped by a large number of L.A.P.D. officers without reasonable, probable or any cause, and without a warrant. One of the officers prepared a loadedshotgun for firing and pointed the muzzle of the gun at and held it several inches from the head of one of the children. The occupants were ordered out of thecar and held at gunpoint while a search was made of the car. Officers proceeded to ransack the car, removing the back seat and strewing articles everywhere.They refused to let a licensed driver drive the car away from the scene of the arrest so that the other persons might go home. They also refused to let EVON CARTER have her babys bed or her bag (containing food, clothing and her personal identification, keys to her home, and $60 cash). They also kept GWEN GOODLOEs purse. ROGER LEWIS and ELMER G. PRATT were arrested on suspicion of murder withoutlegal cause and were later released with the charges being dropped after they were held and questioned for several hours.

A second private citizens car, after the arrests of PRATT and LEWIS, followed thepolice car to make sure that they were taken to the designated station and not l


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ost as is sometimes the case. Those in the second car were stopped and arrestedby back-up police details. When the second car of arrestees (also L.A. Panthers) arrived at Newton Street station, one officer got out of the car and threw LOUIS R. WILLIAMS to the ground, choking him and placing a knee in his groin. He also put a cigarette out on WILLIAMs arm. The other Panthers were arrested without legal cause and released shortly thereafter.

JUNE 30th

In Los Angeles, RONALD FREEMAN is arrested on suspicion of murder and possessionof drugs. Charges are later dropped.

JULY 5th

ELAINE D. BROWN and JOAN KELLEY, who was seven months pregnant at the time, weredriving down 103rd Street near Compton. They were stopped without legal causeby police officers and approximately twelve Metro cars pulled up in the immediat

e area. They were detained for two hours and required by police officers to stand with their hands in the air all the time. The officers searched the car including the trunk and their purses without a warrant and without legal cause. They read every piece of paper and mail they found and made notes. When the two women ask why they were stopped, the reply was, Robbery, prostitution- well find something. The police officers also searched the women, pointed guns at them, and kept telling them to run so that they could shoot them.

JULY 5th

Los Angeles Panther LOUIS R. WILLIAMS is arrested without reasonable, probable or any cause, and without a warrant, when his was following a police car in which

two Party members were held. He was thrown to the ground, choked, kneed in hisgroin, and like on June 23rd- a lit cigarette was put out on WILLIAMs arm. He was given a traffic ticket and released after being held in custody for four hours, during which time he was moved back and forth between various police stations, while the police were falsely telling other Party members that they did not know his whereabouts.

JULY 5th

Sixteen police officers illegally enter the Watts office without a warrant. Present are Los Angeles Panthers HENRY DAVID CHRISTIAN, BOBBY DAVIS, WALTER TOURE POPE, CHARLES JAMES, LUXAY IRVING and CRAIG WILLIAMS. With guns drawn the police force the Party members on the knees and proclaim they are looking for a known wanted Party member. No reason was given by any officer for the action taken againstthe five Party member in the office, all of whom were taken to the Watts policestation where they were kept for about an hour and a half, after which three ofthe members were released without charges being filed against them. The otherthree, CHARLES JAMES, LUXAY IRVING, and CRAIG WILLIAMS, were arrested on a charge of burglary, which was dropped and replaced by a charge of resisting arrest.

At the time of the invasion of the office, the Party members were preparing fora Party rally that afternoon. When the three Party members were released, threeother Party members for the purpose of attending the rally then picked them up

in a yellow van. After they proceeded a short distance a police patrol car stopped them without legal cause of any kind and ran a make on all of the occupantsof the van. After detaining them for sometime, all but one were released. When


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they arrived at the rally it was over. This type of police action- the arrest,detention, and harassment, was set forth to prevent Party members from participating in the rally and to thus interfere with the constitutional rights of association and free speech of the Party and its members.

JULY 8th

In Los Angeles, Panther WILLIE CALVIN is arrested for selling paper and for disorderly conduct.

JULY 9th

A plains clothed officer who solicited the purchase from Los Angeles Panther DEVODIE BENSON of a Black Panther Party newspaper arrested BENSON without legal cause. He was held without his consent and for an excessive period of time, over 24 hours, and released after intensive questioning and investigation.

JULY 10th

Los Angeles Panther WAYNE PHARR and four other persons were driving away from the Watts Party office when without any legal cause they were stopped and searchedby officers of the police department without reasonable, probable or any cause,and without a warrant. They were released and again without legal cause stoppedfive minutes later by officers in six unmarked Metro squad cars, again withoutcause. All were ordered outside and identification was checked. A crowd of concerned citizens gathered and began to verbally protest the arrest. Everyone including PHARR complied with the policemens orders. An attempt was made to performthe chokehold on PHARR who resisted this action. All where released except PHARR

who was placed under arrest.

WAYNE PHARR was kicked by officers and when he fell to the ground was attackedby all the officers. Three held him while the other two beat him in the groin and midsection. He was thrown in a police car with three officers and driven around while they took turns beating him. They would meet other officers at variouslocations around the city where he would be taken out of the car and beaten by these new officers. He was taken to one location, removed from the car, guns wheredrawn on him and he was told to run. When he wouldnt comply he was beaten again- sometimes with fists, sometimes with Billy Clubs or flashlights.

Finally WAYNE PHARR was arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, later changed to battery on a police officer, all without legal cause. When a doctor went to the jail with PHARRs attorney to examine him, the doctor was refusedadmittance.

JULY 13th

San Diego police provoke a two day riot, leaving two dead several wounded, and 100 arrested. Two officers are killed as well.

JULY 17th

Los Angeles Panther OTIS GRIMES was arrested without legal cause on charges of h


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arboring a fugitive and failure to disperse. The charges were later dropped.

JULY 23rd

Two police cars, for allegedly having a smoking car stop Los Angeles Panthers AL AMOUR and BRENDA FRANK, without legal cause. The car is searched, without legal

cause and without a warrant, and the said Party members are then released without charge.

JULY 25th

TONY QUISENBERRY and LESTER ANTHONY without legal cause were stopped by police officers with drawn guns. No arrests were made

JULY 26th

Los Angeles Panthers LUXEY IRVING and CRAIG WILLIAMS were stopped by L.A.P.D. without legal cause for alleged traffic violations. No citations were given. Their identification was checked and they were released.

AUGUST

A group of Los Angeles Panthers including HENRY DAVID CHRISTIAN, LEMUEL JAMES, VIRGIL SMITH, TONY QUISENBERRY, BOBBY DAVIS and ROMAINE FITGZGERALD are participating in a demonstration in an area known as the Nickerson Gardens Projects. Whilethey are standing in the area peacefully singing songs with a number of other people, mostly children, participating, and some of the people so participating standing in doorways in the area, they are observed by Police officer Phillips (w

hose first name is unknown) drove by, leaving, and then returns about a half hour later with two police cars containing a number of officers in each car. Officer Phillips, without attempting to place Panther HENRY DAVID CHRISTIAN under arrest or informing him of the reason for his actions, and without justification ofanyu kind whatsoever, assaults CHRISTIAN with a Billy club, gabs him by the collarand places him in the Choke Hold , bruising and injuring him.

Party member LEMUEL JAMES starts to walk away and two of the officers assault him, beating him with flashlights and fists. LEMUEL JAMES and HENRY DAVID CHRISTIAN were handcuffed and pushed into one of the police cars. Other members ot theParty were also assaulted and beaten by said police officers. As CHRISTIAN andJAMES were being driven away by the police officers, officer Phillips keeps addressing them as Nigger. When officer Phillips is asked by one of the other officers what should the two Party members would be charged with, he replied, Niggers andthen later on said, Well think of something. The verbal harassment continued along with additional assaults upon the two, both in the car and at the 77th Streetstation where they are booked and sent into the felony tank without ever beingadvised of their constitutional rights. On the night of their arrest, they aretaken to the Morningside Hospital, warned not to say anything out of line and given treatment for their injuries including an open wound on JAMES eye. The original felony charge of assault on a police officer was reduced to three misdemeanorcharges- disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, and battery, of which they were later found guilty.

AUGUST 7th


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ther charges were dropped.

SEPTEMBER 8th

At about 7am at 10313 Hickory Street where the Party Breakfast Program for children was in active progress, 25 to 30 police officers without legal cause and wit

hout any warrant walked into the room, where about thirty children were eating breakfast, with drawn shotguns and in a threatening manner ordered the children to leave. They then spilled all the milk and destroyed all the food in the roomand made it impossible to continue with the breakfast program for several days.

SEPTEMBER 11th

In San Diego Panthers GLORIA GREEN, PLEZ BOLDEN, DEBORAH DeROWEN, and GLORIA BOLTEN are arrested on armed robbery charges, Their case is later dismissed.

SEPTEMBER 11th

Los Angeles Panther ALBERT ARMOUR, while riding in the yellow ban commonly usedby Party members, together with Los Angeles Panthers BRUCE RICHARDS, WALTER TOURE POPE, and DANIEL RANEY without legal cause is stopped by police officers and placed under arrest. Party member ARMOUR without legal cause is charged with suspicion of burglary and receiving stolen goods, take to the police station and interrogated for four hours, during which period his repeated requests for a lawyerwere denied. He was held for five days, the charges were dropped, and he was released.

SEPTEMBER 11th

Los Angeles Panther BRUCE RICHARDS is arrested without legal cause on a charge of no I.D. The charge was dropped and he was released.

SEPTEMBER 12th

In Los Angeles, Panther NATHANIEL CLARK is murdered.

SEPTEMBER 12th

In San Diego, Panther GLORIA SHIELDS is arrested for selling BPP newspaper.

SEPTEMBER 14th

Los Angeles Panther CHARLES JAMES was arrested without legal cause on a charge of no I.D. The charge was dropped and he was released.

SEPTEMBER 14th

Los Angeles Panther WALTER TOURE POPE, was arrested without legal cause on the ch

arge of harboring a fugitive. The charges were dropped and he was released.


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SEPTEMBER 16th

Los Angeles Panther BRUCE RICHARDS is arrested with our legal cause on a chargeof suspicion of robbery. The charges were dropped and he was released.

SEPTEMBER 17th

Los Angeles Panthers WALTER RAY POPE, CLENDA HOESPHS, BRENDA FRANK, ROBERT BRYANand CRAIG WILLIAMS were arrested without legal cause on charges of suspicion ofrobbery. They are held for varying periods of time and the charges are then dropped and they are all released.

SEPTEMBER 19th

Los Angeles Panthers HENRY DAVID CHRISTIAN, CRAIG WILLIAMS, ALBERT ARMOUR, CHARLES JAMES and GEORGE DUCK SMITH were in an automobile in a service station in Watts. A patrol car pulled up alongside with four officers in it, two of who with th

eir guns drawn approached said PARTY members while two others officers stood alongside the patrol car holding shotguns. After said members were ordered out oftheir car, two other patrol cars pulled up at the station. All five members were searched and there were allowed to leave and two were taken down to the policestation because they didnt have I.D. cards. When CHRISTIAN, one of the ones released stated, Thats how the fascist pigs act, he was arrested and booked for disturbing the peace, held for a couple of days, released on bail and the charge was dismissed at the trial. The aforesaid conduct on the part of the police officersis without any legal cause whatsoever.

SEPTEMBER 20th

Ten San Diego Panthers are arrested on suspicion of armed robbery; the charges are later dropped.

SEPTEMBER 26th

L.A.P.D. officers arrested Los Angeles Panthers HAROWESE MOORE and JAMES JOHNSONon a disturbing the peace charge for playing a record player too loud. The said officers broke into the Watts PARTY office at 28110 East 103rd Street, and arrested the above named persons without a warrant and without informing them of the charge or of the complaining person in the neighborhood. They told JAMES JOHNSON that they wished he has a gun so they could kill him, and they put the handcuffs on so tightly that is caused JOHNSON great and severe pain.

SEPTEMBER 26th

In Los Angeles, 6 Panthers are arrested for suspicion of burglary and stolen goods. The charges are later dropped.

OCTOBER

At or about midnight, Los Angles Panthers CRAIG WILLIAMS and BRENDA FRANK are delivering groceries to the PARTY Breakfast Program on Hickory Street in a van ow

ned by Don Freed and driven with his permission. As they were near the school,they are suddenly surrounded by a large number of police officers coming out from hiding places all around the school. They had guns drawn and lights shining


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on the two PARTY members. One of the officers said, We ought to kill him. Lets take him around in the back. The officers asked the PARTY members if they had permission to use Don Freeds car, and they replied that they had. BRENDA FRANK is pregnant and told the police officers that she might have miscarriage as a resultof their conduct. The reply was that she could just stop over to the side andhave it right there. PARTY member WILLIAMS is then handcuffed and taken to there. PARTY member WILLIAMS is then handcuffed and taken to the 77th Street police

station from which the police officers telephoned Don Freed for the purpose ofconfirming the members statement that they had permission to drive the van and finally released WILLIAMS after holding him about a total of two hours. Before taking the said PARTY member to the police station, one of the officers held a gunin his neck and ordered him to knock on the door of the school and called out to see if anybody was there. The officer told WILLIAMS if anything started to happen he would be the first to get it. WILLIAMS knocked as ordered and no one answered. All of this conduct on the part of the police was part of the plan to harass PARTY members and was done without any cause or justification whatsoever.The officers occupied the said PARTY headquarters for that night and the next night. The police officers stated that they werent going to let any PARTY memberin and would kill any PARTY member who tried to get in.

OCTOBER

Los Angles Panthers CRAIG WILLIAMS, ROBERT BRYAN and ISIAH HOUSTON were drivingin a car when they were stopped by a squad car and ordered out of their car at the point of a gun, told to hold their hands up high and required to furnish their I.D.s. The officers then proceeded to search the van, all without a warrant orany cause therefore and in the course thereof ripped out certain wires in the van. The officers ran a make on the three members and found that CRAIG WILLIAMShad an outstanding traffic warrant. The other two were released but WILLIAMS was taken to the Wilshire police station where he was held for a considerable timeand later released. On the way to the station, the police officer said to WILL

IAMS that he was used as a paper boy and that DAVID HILLIARD and BOBBY SEALE were just making money off the PARTY members.

OCTOBER 18th

Los Angeles Panther WALTER TOURE POPE is murdered by Los Angeles metro squad in broad daylight as he attempts to ambush two officers.

OCTOBER 21st

About 30 police officers dressed all in black without legal cause attacked a PARTY community center at Hickory and 103rd Streets in Watts at a time when there was no one in the center. The police officers hot tear gas inside the house andgarage and the attic of the house, spattered eggs against the walls, spilled milk all over the floor and destroyed bread and other food.

OCTOBER 22

Los Angeles Panthers JAMES JOHNSON, HAROWESE MOORE AND GWEN GOODLOE were at theWatts PARTY office and a record of Eldridge Cleaver entitled, Dig is being played

. During the evening police officers are coming by and asking people if the records is too loud or whether it bothered them, receiving repeated negative responses. Thereafter, a group of police officers numbering approximately eighteen en


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tered the said office without a warrant, over the protest of the said PARTY members, said police officers having their guns drawn. The police, their arms bentbehind their backs, grab the PARTY members present and they are beaten and choked. The women PARTY members are searched roughly, by male police officers, claiming they are looking for some keys. And all three members are taken to the 77thStreet police station and booked for disturbing the peace. Thereafter, there is a jury trial on these charges, which ended up in a mistrial, and the charges a

re thereafter dismissed.

NOVEMBER 12th

In Los Angeles, a community meeting is in progress to finalize plans for the Bunchy Carter Free Health Clinic when 75 police raid the BPP office. The doctors,nurses and other community leaders present shocked the officers who retreat.

NOVEMBER 12th

Over forty police officers surrounded PARTY headquarters at 4115 Central Avenue.A dozen of them had their guns drawn. Without reasonable, probable, or any cause, the police asserted that fugitives from a charge of selling papers on the street are being hidden in the house There are four women and three children present inside the house. The police remained an hour with guns drawn, and then departed without making any arrests.

NOVEMBER 19th

Los Angeles Panthers JOHN WASHINGTON and MIKE LYNEM are arrested without legalcause on a charge of suspicion of robbery. The charges are dropped and they arereleased.

NOVEMBER 19th

Los Angeles Panthers PAUL REDD and JACKIE JOHNSON were arrested without legal cause on a charge of no I.D. The charges were dropped and they are released.

NOVEMBER 24th

More than 25 members of the POLICE DEPARTMENT stopped and searched Los Angeles Panthers ALBERT ARMOUR and WAYNE PHARR, without reasonable, probable, or any cause and without a warrant. After a warrant check was made by the police officers,ALBERT ARMOUR is arrested and handcuffed and taken in on an outstanding trafficwarrant, and WAYNE PHARR was released.

NOVEMBER 28th

At approximately 10:00 p.m. about 200 police officers surrounded the PARTY headquarters on Central Avenue. At that time a meeting was going on in said office with about 50 persons in attendance, including several children. The officers set up guns around the headquarters. The person inside turned out the lights andlay down on the floor. About 45 minutes later the Watch Commander from the Newton Street police station telephoned the PARTY headquarters and asked what was w

rong. One of the members told him that police with guns are surrounding the office and that there are women and children in the office and they wanted to leavein safety. The Watch Commander said, We thought we saw somebody in the window w


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n the warrant, the warrant being restricted solely to weapons.

DECEMBER 10th

Los Angeles Local Union 535, Social Services Workers

Union, passes a resolution

to protest the political murders of Panthers across the country and to demand the release of all political prisoners.

DECEMBER 10th

Friends of Panthers, a coalition of community groups, holds a mass protest rallyat City Hall to denounce the invasion of police offers into the black community.

DECEMBER 20th

Near Central Avenue and 42nd Street in Los Angeles, PARTY member, EDDIE LEE GRIFFIN, JOHN WASHINGTON and FRED NOLAN were stopped without legal cause while riding in an automobile in the area of Central Avenue and 42nd Street in Los Angeles.Two police officers ordered them out of the car, searched them and searched th

e car, all without legal cause or a warrant. Several other patrol cars surrounded the said PARTY members during the period of time they were being searched. In the course of the search, the police officers found a diagram of the Watts office of the PARTY, which diagram the Party members are taking to their lawyers.The PARTY member are handcuffed and taken to the Newton Street police station and put into separate cells, after being booked without legal cause for grand theft of the automobile they are using. The PARTY members had told the police officers that the registration of the car is in the glove compartment but the police

officers refused to look at it. After being detained for several hours, the said PARTY members are released and the charges dropped. At the time that member,GIFFIN, is released, he is told by one of the police officers that he had 30 seconds to get out of the building or that he would be arrested and that the officer would beat his ass.

DECEMBER 22nd

Los Angeles Panther, ALBERT ARMOUR, was stopped for an alleged traffic violationand is arrested, charged with disturbing the peace and on a traffic warrant andis taken to jail from which he is bailed out the same day. When he went to court on the case it is dismissed, there having been no basis therefore in the first instance.

DECEMBER 27th

In Los Angeles, the Bunchy Carter Free Health Clinic opens.

1970

JANUARY

Los Angles Panther EVON CARTER, and two other PARTY members along with the eight-year old son of one of them, are riding in a rented car. They are stopped by police officers and all taken into custody for grand theft auto, all without lega


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JANUARY 13th

Los Angeles Panthers HENRY DAVID CHRISTIAN along with EDDIE GRIFFIN is driving the PARTY van which is filled with medical equipment which had been donated to the plaintiff. Without legal cause he is stopped by a number of policemen who approached him with pistols drawn, searched and handcuffed him, and then without a

warrant searched the van and the PARTY Community Center at 113th Street. The van, which belonged to a friend of the PARTY and is being used with his permission, is impounded without legal cause. Said CHRISTIAN is then taken to the 77th Street police station and without legal cause charged with suspicion of burglary.JIMMY BROWN, the donor, came to the police station and verified the fact of thedonation. They then booked HENRY DAVID CHRISTIAN without legal cause for possession of hypodermic needles and syringes. As the station POLICE OFFICERS PHILLIPS laughed at said member CHIRSTIAN and told him he would do him in if he ran into him again and asked him where he had been dismissed without trial. On the same occasion, EDDIE GRIFFIN is also arrested without any cause whatsoever, takento the police station and thereafter released. The police officers said they wished a certain other member of the PARTY is there so they could shoot him and ta

lked of planting marijuana on the arrestees.

JANUARY 15th

Los Angeles Panthers JOHN ALEASE RINGGOLD and GILBERT PARKER are driving a 1958Chevrolet owned by PARTY member, MICHAEL D. PENNEWELL with his permission. Theyare stopped without legal cause by a number of police, told to get out of the car and put their hands up on the car. They are then handcuffed and thrown in the police car and taken to the Firestone station, during the course of which event member PARKER is struck in the mouth by the police and the door of the car isintentionally slammed shut on the foot of member RINGGOLD by one of the officers. During the drive to the station, on of the officers kept saying that he alwa

ys wanted to kill a Panther and that the Panthers were crazy niggers. At the station an officer started beating member PARKER in the presence of member RINGOLD while another police officer was holding her. Member PARKER is repeatedly kickedin the thigh, stomach and lower leg, slapped in the mouth, kneed in the neck and face and slammed face forward against the wall. Member RINGGOLD said to the police officer holding her, Dont you see whats happening? He replied, I dont see anything and neither do you. The said members are held until Tuesday, January 20, without ever being taken before a magistrate and then are released after the officers told member RINGGOLD that they knew the car wasnt stolen. While member RINGGOLD is confined in jail her shoes were taken away and she is required to go barefoot on the cold and hard floor and required to go long periods of time withoutfood. The said 1958 Chevrolet is impounded by the police without any legal cause therefore.

JANUARY 16th

A number of PARTY members, including JAMES JOHNSON are in an automobile near 103rd and Wilmington streets. The car is stopped and all of the persons in the car are told by the police officers to go across the street. They are required toidentify themselves and JOHNSON is taken to the 77th Street police station after being told by the police that they have warrants for JAMES JOHNSON for murder,counterfeiting and traffic violations. As is in fact know to the police officers who arrested JAMES JOHNSON, the said warrants are not for PARTY member JAMESJOHNSON who are arrested. After being detained for several hours, all without a

ny cause or justification whatsoever, said JAMES JOHNSON was released.


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JANUARY 17th

Los Angeles Panther BOBBY BROWN is on the way to the PARTY office and is stoppedby police officers at the corner of Anzac and Century Streets. He is approached by several police officers with their guns drawn and they asked for his I.D.,which he did not have. The officers then said they are going to take him to jail but before they did so, they gave him a ticket for crossing the street outside

of a crosswalk. He is held in custody for several hours and then released without any further action being taken against him. While he is in custody he is repeatedly questioned about the whereabouts of PARTY member RUSSELL WASHINGTON andwhen he said that he didnt know, he is kicked by police officers about the buttocks and about the head and told they are going to kill mother fucking Russell.

JANUARY 21st

Two police officers threatened PARTY members GRIFFIN and TONY QUISENBERRY with their guns, required them to produce their I.D.s and then permitted them to leaveunder circumstances in which none of the said members had done or appeared to ha

ve done anything illegal or anything warranting any police inquiry. Two days later, a police car with a loud speaker passed by the PARTY headquarters near which the detention had occurred saying over the loud speaker things like, Eddie Griffin, come on out. We are out here waiting for you.

FEBRUARY

Los Angeles Panther BOBBY BROWN is walking down 103rd street from the PARTY office to the Community Center with another PARTY member, when they are followed bya police car which would speed up every time they would try to cross the street.Said PARTY member finally managed to get across the street and as they did thepolice officers jumped out of the car which had been harassing them with their

guns drawn and aimed them at the heads of said members. Another police car drove up and said members are holding front of the cars wit their hand above their heads with one of the police officers saying to the others, Its some more Panthers.Then another one said, Dont you know you two will be the firs to die? or words tothat effect. Another one said, You wan to fight, itll be one against one, all while guns are being aimed at the heads of the said members. After being held thusfor a while and harassed, the police officers finally said, Well you all can gonow, and allowed them to leave without making any arrest or taking any other action.

FEBRUARY

Los Angeles Panthers RINGGOLD and ALBERT ARMOUR are stopped by the police and told that they had made a faulty lane change, which is untrue. The police officersaid if would take about an hour to run a check on the car and they are hold for about an hour by the police and then released without charges.

FEBRUARY 8th

Los Angeles Panther EDDIE GRIFFIN is ordered by POLICE OFFICER VASQUEZ to come to the police officers squad car, on which the said officer told GRIFFEN to overto the car, grabbed the hat off the members head and threw it on the roof of thecar and threw his I.D. down on the ground, making threatening remarks such as, Do

nt you fuck with me. You PanthersI am afraid Im going to kill one some day. Said member had one nothing whatsoever that was illegal or that in any way warranted the action taken against him.


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FEBRUARY 9th

Los Angeles Panther BOBBY BROWN is selling PARTY papers when he is approached by two police officers and told that they are going to arrest him for burglary.They said they saw him going into a ladys yard and BROWN said that he went in th

ere to leave her a paper. The officers then said they would arrest him for smarttalking. BROWN replied that they had no right to do that and they would arresthim for contributing to delinquency of minors because he had been talking to some little girls who wanted to buy a paper and he had been telling them about thebreakfast program on the Panthers. Then some person came by and asked what thetrouble was and the police officers said, You get on out of here, and allowed themember to leave.

FEBRUARY 17th

Several Los Angeles Panther members including RINGGOLD and ALBERT ARMOUR left Pa

rty headquarters about 2:00 a.m.. They are then stopped while driving for allegedly driving down the middle of the street. They are held by police officers for 45 minutes, the car is searched without a warrant and each of the members areinterrogated. They are then released. All of this is done without any cause ofany kind whatsoever.

MARCH 24th

Los ANgeles Panther ROGER BLUE LEWIS receives ten years in prison on trumped-up charges stemming from the Panther roundup following the murders of BUNCHY CARTER and JOHN HUGGINS.

JULY 14th

J. Edgar Hoover makes the statement ...the Black Panther Party is the greatest threat to the national security in the history of this nation.

JULY 27th

The L.A.P.D. storm the BPP office.

AUGUST 7th

JONATHAN JACKSON a member of SNCC, close friend of the L.A. Panthers, and brother of incarcerated Panther GEORGE JACKSON, travels to a Marin county Courthouse in San Rafael, California, in an attempt to free his brother from court. His brothers court date changed, JONATHAN instead liberates the other defendants in court-JAMES McCLAIN, WILLIAM CHRISTMAS, and RUCHELL McGEE. They take a prosecutor, and three jurors hostage. All three gunmen except RUCHELL McGEE are killed alongwith the judge by police.

AUGUST 11th

Several Los ANgeles Panther are given 60 days in jail for selling the Partys newspaper.


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SEPTEMBER 26th

Los Angeles Panthers sponsor a youth conference.

1971

JANUARY 23rd

Huey Newton expels Los Angeles Panthers ELMER GERONIMO PRATT and his wife

SANDRA PRATT as well as Panthers on trial in New York known as the New York 21.

FEBRUARY

Huey Newton and Eldrige Cleaver disagree on San Francisco talk show. Newton expels Cleaver and the entire wing of the International BPP for his criticism of th

e expulsion of Geronimo and the New York 21.

MARCH

Eldridge Cleaver expels Huey Newton and David Hilliard from the BPP.

AUGUST 21st

George Jackson is assassinated in San Quentin Prison.

THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER

IS EXPELLED BY THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

1972

JUNE

In Los Angeles, Elmer Geronimo Pratt is convicted of murder and sentenced to lifein prison.

1974

AUGUST

Huey Newton flees to Cuba from murder charges in the U.S. He appoints ELAINE BROWN Party Leader.

1976

The Senate Intelligence Committee discloses the FBI report documenting its workto neutralize the Party.

1977


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Documents

A BRIEF HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY