Assata Shakur (born July 16, 1947, as Joanne Deborah Byron Chesimard^[1]) is an African-American activist who was a member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army (BLA). In 1977 she was convicted of several felonies including the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster during a 1973 gunfight on the New Jersey Turnpike. During the gunfight and ensuing chase, New Jersey State Trooper James Harper was wounded and Shakur's fellow BLA member Zayd Malik Shakur killed.^[2][3] Image File history File links Assata_shakur2. ... is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article is about the state. ... is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change. ... The Black Panther Party (originally called the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was an African American organization founded to promote civil rights and self-defense. ... Logo of the Black Liberation Army The Black Liberation Army (BLA) was an underground, black nationalist-Marxist organization that operated in the United States from 1971 to 1981. ... For the record label, see Felony Records The term felony is a term used in common law systems for very serious crimes, whereas misdemeanors are considered to be less serious offenses. ... The New Jersey State Police is the state police force for the state of New Jersey. ...

She escaped from prison in 1979 and has been living in Cuba with political asylum since 1984. Since May 2, 2005, she has been classified as a domestic terrorist by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which has offered a $1 million reward for assistance in her capture. She is the godmother of the late hip hop artist Tupac Shakur (the sister of his stepfather).^[4][5] This is a list of United States citizens who have been granted political asylum in Cuba. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... F.B.I. and FBI redirect here. ... A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a childs baptism. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac, Makaveli, or simply as Pac, was an American artist renowned for his rap music, movie roles, poetry, and his social activism. ... “Stepmom” redirects here. ...

Early life

Shakur was born in New York City on July 16, 1947, or, according to the FBI, August 19, 1952, but spent most of her childhood in Wilmington, North Carolina^[6] until her family relocated to Queens when she was a teenager. She attended Borough of Manhattan Community College and City College of New York in the mid 1960s, where she was involved in many political activities. After graduation, Shakur became involved in the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army.^[7] Shakur and others^[8][9][10] claim that she was targeted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's COINTELPRO as a result of her involvement with these organizations.^[7] is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wilmington is a city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. ... For other uses, see Queens (disambiguation) and Queen. ... Founded in 1963, Borough of Manhattan Community College, or BMCC is one of six two-year colleges within the City University of New York (CUNY) system and the only one in Manhattan. ... “City College” redirects here. ... The Black Panther Party (originally called the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was an African American organization founded to promote civil rights and self-defense. ... Logo of the Black Liberation Army The Black Liberation Army (BLA) was an underground, black nationalist-Marxist organization that operated in the United States from 1971 to 1981. ... F.B.I. and FBI redirect here. ... COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) was a program of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation aimed at investigating and disrupting dissident political organizations within the United States. ...

Msgr. John Powis alleged that Shakur was involved in an armed robbery at his Our Lady of the Presentation church in Brownsville, Brooklyn on September 14, 1972 based on FBI photographs; Shakur was not charged with this robbery and the only person arrested for it was acquitted.^[11] Monsignor, monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. ... Brownsville is a neighborhood in central Brooklyn, New York, predominantly Caribbean, Hispanic, and African-American. ... is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...

In 1972, Shakur was made the subject of a nationwide manhunt after the F.B.I. alleged that she was the "revolutionary mother hen" of a Black Liberation Army cell which had conducted a "series of cold-blooded murders of New York City police officers."^[9] After her capture, however, Shakur was charged with none of the killings which had made her the subject of the manhunt.^[9] NYPD redirects here. ...

New Jersey Turnpike shootout

Mugshot of Shakur, taken on May 2, 1973

On May 2, 1973, just after midnight,^[12] Shakur, at that time a member of the Black Liberation Army and no longer a member of the Black Panther Party, along with Zayd Malik Shakur (born James F Coston) and Sundiata Acoli (born Clark Squire), was stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike in East Brunswick by State Trooper James Harper and backed up by Trooper Werner Foerster, for driving with a broken taillight, only 200 yards (183 m) away from a police administration building.^[12] Accounts of the confrontation differ (see the witnesses section below), but Zayd Shakur and Trooper Foerester were killed in the ensuing shootout, and Assata Shakur and Trooper Harper were injured. Acoli then drove the car (a white Pontiac LeMans with Vermont license plates)^[12]—which contained Assata, who was wounded, and Zayd, who was dead or dying; several miles down the road, where Assata Shakur was apprehended. Acoli then exited the car and fled into the woods and was captured after a manhunt the following day.^[13] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Al Capone. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Logo of the Black Liberation Army The Black Liberation Army (BLA) was an underground, black nationalist-Marxist organization that operated in the United States from 1971 to 1981. ... Sundiata Acoli (b. ... This article is about the modern freeway. ... Location of New Brunswick in Middlesex County Country State County Middlesex Incorporated February 28, 1860 Government  - Type Faulkner Act  - Mayor William P. Neary (D) Area  - Township  22. ... Assata Shakur (born July 16, 1947, as Joanne Deborah Byron Chesimard[1]) is an African-American activist who was a member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army (BLA). ... 1965 Pontiac Le Mans The Pontiac LeMans was an intermediate-sized automobile offered by the Pontiac division of General Motors from 1962 to 1981, replaced by the downsized Pontiac Bonneville for the 1982 model year after the fuel crises of the 1970s. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... // Introduction A license plate, number plate or registration plate (often referred to simply as a plate, or colloquially tag) is a small metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle for official identification purposes. ...

Trials

Between 1973 and 1977, in New York and New Jersey, Shakur was indicted ten times, resulting in seven different criminal trials, including two bank robberies, the kidnapping of a Brooklyn heroin dealer, attempted murder of two Queens police officers steming from a January 23, 1973 failed ambush, and the murder of a New Jersey state trooper.^[14][15][9] Of these trials, three resulted in acquittals, one in a hung jury, and two in dismissals.^[15] In one of her bank robbery trials, the jury determined that a widely-circulated F.B.I. photo allegedly showing her participating in the robbery was not her.^[14] In November 1974, New York State Superior Court Justice Peter Farrell dismissed the attempted murder indictment because of insufficient evidence;^[16] for this trial, Shakur had been extradited to New York City on May 16.^[17] In October 1977, New York State Superior Court Justice John Starkey dropped murder and robbery charges against Shakur related to the hold up of a Brooklyn club in which Richard Nelson was killed on the grounds that the state had delayed too long in bringing her to trial.^[18] This article is about the state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... It has been suggested that Safecatch be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the New York City borough, or Kings County, New York. ... For other uses, see Heroin (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Queens (disambiguation) and Queen. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... In criminal law, an acquittal is the legal result of a verdict of not guilty, or some similar end of the proceeding that terminates it with prejudice without a verdict of guilty being entered against the accused. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Extradition is the official process by which one nation or state requests and obtains from another nation or state the surrender of a suspected or convicted criminal. ... is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Judge Leon Gerofsky ordered a change of venue in 1973 to Morris County, New Jersey, saying "it was almost impossible to obtain a jury here comprised of people willing to accept the responsibility of impartiality so that defendants will be protected from transitory passion and prejudice."^[19] Shakur was originally slated to be tried together with Acoli, but the trials were separated due to her pregnancy, and hers resulted in a mistrial in 1974 because of the possibility of miscarriage; Shakur was hospitalized on February 1.^[20][21] By the time her 1977 trial started, Acoli had already been convicted of firing the bullets which killed Trooper Foerster,^[9] and a total of 289 articles had been published in the local press, most portraying Shakur as dangerous and mentioning her alleged involvement in the various violent crimes for which she had not been convicted.^[12] Polls of residents in Middlesex County showed that 83% knew her identity and 70% said she was guilty.^[12] A change of venue is the legal term for moving a trial to a new location. ... Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about 25 mi (40 km) west of New York City. ... Mistrial. ... Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the natural or spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or the fetus is incapable of surviving, generally defined in humans at a gestation of prior to 20 weeks. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

After a widely-publicized nine-week trial,^[12] on March 25, 1977—back in Middlesex County, New Jersey—Shakur was convicted as an accomplice in the murders of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster and Zayd Shakur and possession of weapons, as well as of assault and attempted murder of Trooper Harper. Although the prosecution could not prove that Shakur fired the shots that killed either Trooper Foerester or Zayd Shakur, being an accomplice to murder carries an equivalent life sentence under New Jersey law.^[12] New Jersey Superior Court Judge Theodore Appleby sentenced her to 26 to 33 years in state prison for assault and weapons charges which was to be served consecutively with her mandatory life sentence for being an accomplice to the murders.^[22] is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Middlesex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... At law, an accomplice is a person who actively participates in the commission of a crime, even though they take no part in the actual criminal offence. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A mandatory sentence is a judicial decision setting the punishment to be inflicted on a person convicted of a crime where judicial discretion is limited by law. ...

All of the jury members were white^[23] and five had personal ties to State Troopers (one girlfriend, two nephews, and two friends).^[24][25] One prospective juror was dismissed for reading Target Blue (ISBN 978-0440084891), a book by Robert Daley, a former New York City Deputy Police Commander, which dealt in part with Shakur and had been left in the jury assembly room.^[26] Shakur's attorneys sought a new trial on the grounds that one jury member, John McGovern, had violated the jury's sequestration order.^[27] McGovern later sued Kunstler for defamation^[28] after Judge Appleby rejected Kunstler's claim that he had violated the order.^[29] In September 1977, New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne vetoed a bill to give the Morris County sheriff $7,491 for overtime expenses incurred in guarding Shakur's jury.^[30] Sequestration, the act of removing, separating or seizing anything from the possession of its owner, particularly in law, of the taking possession of property under process of law for the benefit of creditors or the state. ... “Libel” redirects here. ... Jon Corzine 54th Governor of New Jersey; Incumbent Christine Christie Todd Whitman, the first female governor of New Jersey The Governor of New Jersey is the chief executive of the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... Brendan Thomas Byrne (born April 1, 1924) was the Democratic governor of the U.S. state of New Jersey from 1974 to 1982. ... Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours; these may be determined in several ways, by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), by practices of a given trade or profession, by legislation, or by agreement between employers and workers or their representatives. ...

The judge did not allow evidence of alleged COINTELPRO involvement to be admitted during her trial.^[25] Shakur's defense attorneys had attempted to subpoena FBI Director Clarence Kelley, Senator Frank Church and other Federal and New York law enforcement officials to testify about the Counter Intelligence Program, which they alleged was designed to harass and disrupt black activist organizations.^[31] Shakur's attorney's had also successfully asked a 10-judge panel of the Federal Philadelphia Court of Appeals to order that sessions for her murder trial not be held on Fridays because of Black Muslim Sabbath, although Appeals Court rejected her plea to move the murder trial to a federal court.^[32][33] COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) was a program of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation aimed at investigating and disrupting dissident political organizations within the United States. ... A subpoena is a command to appear at a certain time and place to give testimony upon a certain matter. ... Clarence M. Kelley (October 24, 1911 - August 5, 1997) was a public servant and former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ... Frank Forrester Church III (July 25, 1924 – April 7, 1984) was a four-term U.S. Senator representing Idaho as a Democrat (1957-1981). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... {| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...

Defense attorneys

Shakur's defense attorneys included William Kunstler, Evelyn Williams, Florynce Kennedy, Lennox Hinds, Bob Bloom, Ray Brown, and Stanley Cohen, who died of unknown causes early on in Shakur's last trial.^[15][34] Her attorneys, in particular Lennox Hinds, were often held in contempt of court, which the National Conference of Black Lawyers cited as an example of systemic bias in the judicial system.^[35] The New Jersey Legal Ethics Committee also investigated complaints against Hinds for comparing Shakur's murder trial to "legalized lynching"^[36] undertaken by a "kangaroo court."^[12] Judge Appleby also threatened Kunstler with dismissal and contempt of court after he delivered an October 21, 1976 speech at Rutgers University which in part discussed the upcoming trial,^[37] but later ruled that Kunstler could represent Shakur.^[38] Until obtaining a court order, Williams was forced to strip naked and undergo a body search before each of her visits with Shakur—during which Shakur was shackled to a bed by both ankles.^[12] Judge Appleby also refused to investigate a burglary of her defense counsel's office which resulted in the disappearance of trial documents.^[25] William Moses Kunstler (July 7, 1919 - September 4, 1995) was a American jurist, self-described radical lawyer and civil rights activist. ... Evelyn Williams served in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 28th legislative district. ... Florynce Kennedy was a lawyer, activist, civil rights advocate, and feminist. ... Contempt of court is a court ruling which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, deems an individual as holding contempt for the court, its process, and its invested powers. ... The National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL), is an American association, formed in 1968, to serve as the Black Liberation movement’s legal arm and aid other black activists, it is made up of judges, law students, lawyers, legal activists, legal workers, and scholars. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “Rutgers” redirects here. ...

Witnesses

Sundiata Acoli, Assata Shakur, Trooper Harper, and a New Jersey Turnpike driver who saw part of the incident were the only surviving witnesses.^[39] Acoli did not testify or make any pre-trial statements, nor did he testify in his own trial or give a statement to the police.^[40] The driver traveling North on the turnpike testified that he had seen a State Trooper struggling with a Black man between a white vehicle and a State Trooper car, whose revolving lights illuminated the area.^[39]

Shakur testified that Trooper Harper shot her after she raised her arms to comply with his demand, the second shot hitting her in the back as she was turning to avoid it, and that she climbed into the backseat of the Pontiac which Acoli drove five miles (8 km) down the road and parked, and remained there until State Troopers dragged her onto the road.^[39]

Trooper Harper's three official reports state that after he stopped the Pontiac, he ordered Acoli to the back of the vehicle for Trooper Foerster—who had arrived on the scene—to examine his driver's license, and that after Acoli complied and as he was looking inside the vehicle to examine the registration, Trooper Foerster yelled and held up an ammunition clip, as Shakur simultaneously reached into her red pocketbook, pulled out a nine-millimeter weapon and fired at him. Trooper Harper's reports then state that he ran to the rear of his car and shot at Assata Shakur who had exited the vehicle and was firing from a crouched position next to the vehicle.^[14] Under cross-examination at both Acoli and Shakur's trials, Trooper Harper admitted to having lied in these reports and in his Grand Jury testimony about Trooper Foerster yelling and showing him an ammunition clip, about seeing Shakur holding a pocketbook or a gun inside the vehicle, and about Shakur shooting at him from the car.^[14][12] First German driving school in 1906, Aschaffenburg Current EU driving licence, German version - front 1. ... The Vehicle register in the United Kingdom is a database of motor vehicles. ... For other uses, see Purse (disambiguation). ... This article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the 9 mm (.354 in) caliber range. ... In law, cross-examination is the interrogation of a witness called by ones opponent. ... In the American common law legal system, a grand jury is a type of jury which determines if there is enough evidence for a trial. ...

Medical evidence

A key element of Shakur's defense was medical testimony meant to demonstrate that she was shot with her hands up and that she would have been subsequently unable to fire a weapon. A neurologist testified that the median nerve in Shakur's right arm was severed by the second bullet, making her unable to pull a trigger.^[21] Neurosurgeon Dr. Arthur Turner Davidson, Associate Professor of Surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, testified that the wounds in her upper arms, armpit and chest, and severed median nerve that instantly paralysed her right arm, would only have been caused if both arms were raised, and that to sustain such injuries while crouching and firing a weapon "would be anatomically impossible."^[12][41] Dr. David Spain, a pathologist from Brookdale Community College, testified that her bullet scars as well as X-rays supported her claim that her arms were raised, and that there was "no conceivable way" the first bullet could have hit Shakur's clavicle if her arm was down.^[42][43] Judge Appleby eventually cut off funds for expert defense testimony.^[12] Forensic biology is the application of biology to law enforcement. ... Neurology is the branch of medicine that deals with the nervous system and disorders affecting it. ... The median nerve is a nerve that runs down the arm and forearm. ... Albert Einstein College of Medicine logo For the engineering company, see AECOM The Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM) is a graduate school of Yeshiva University. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Brookdale Community College is an accredited, co-educational, two-year public college in Lincroft, Monmouth County, New Jersey. ... In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz... Collarbone and collar bone redirect here. ...

Forensic evidence and police reports

Neutron activation analysis administered after the shootout showed no gun powder residue on Shakur's fingers; her fingerprints were not found on any weapon at the scene, according to forensic analysis performed at the Trenton, New Jersey crime lab and the F.B.I. crime labs in Washington, D.C..^[44] // How Neutron Activation Analysis Works Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) is a nuclear process used for determining certain concentrations of elements in a vast amount of materials. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article is about human fingerprints. ... Nickname: Location of Trenton inside of Mercer County Coordinates: , Country State County Mercer Incorporated November 13, 1792 Government  - Mayor Douglas H. Palmer Area  - City  8. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ...

According to tape recordings and police reports made several hours after the shoot-out, when Harper returned on foot to the administration building 200 yards (183 m) away, he did report Foerster's presence at the scene; no one at headquarters knew of Foerster's involvement in the shoot-out until his body was discovered beside his patrol car, more than an hour later.^[12]

Imprisonment

Shakur was kept in solitary confinement on Rikers Island.

After the Turnpike shootings, Shakur was imprisoned in New Jersey State Reception and Correction center^[45] in Yardville, Middlesex County, New Jersey and later moved to Rikers Island Correctional Institution for Women in New York City^[6] where she was kept in solitary confinement.^[46][47] After a bomb threat was made against Judge Appleby, Sheriff Joseph DeMarino lied to the press about the exact date of her transfer to Clinton State Correctional Institute for security reasons.^[48] She was also transferred from Clinton Prison for Women to the Yardville Youth Correction and Reception Center in New Jersey, where she was the only female inmate,^[49] for "security reasons."^[50] On May 6, 1977, Trenton Federal District Court Judge Clarkson Fisher denied Shakur's request for a transfer from the all-male facility to Clinton Correctional Facility.^[51][47] Shakur's only daughter, Kakuya Shakur, was conceived during her trial and born in September 1974^[52] at the fortified psychiatric ward at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens.^[53] Kamau Sadiki (a.k.a. Fred W. X. Hilton), a co-defendant who shared a cell with Shakur during their trial for armed robbery in the Bronx (of which both were acquitted), is believed to be the father.^[12] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2270x661, 149 KB)THIS IS A PICTURE OF RIKERS ISLAND File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2270x661, 149 KB)THIS IS A PICTURE OF RIKERS ISLAND File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Rikers Island is the name of the worlds largest penal colony. ... Middlesex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... Rikers Island is the name of the worlds largest penal colony. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Solitary confinement, colloquially referred to as the hole (or in British English the block), is a punishment in which a prisoner is denied contact with any other persons, excluding guards, chaplains and doctors. ... This is a list of state prisons in New Jersey. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Queens (disambiguation) and Queen. ...

On April 8, 1978, Shakur was transferred to Alderson Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, West Virginia where she met Puerto Rican nationalist Lolita Lebron^[6] and Mary Alice, a Catholic nun, who introduced Shakur to the concept of liberation theology.^[54] At Alderson, Shakur was housed in the Maximum Security Unit, which also contained several members of the Aryan Sisterhood as well as Sandra Good and Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, followers of Charles Manson.^[55] April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Alderson Federal Prison Camp, also known as Federal Prison Camp, Alderson or FPC Alderson, is a federal prison in the United States for minimum-security female inmates. ... Alderson is a town located in West Virginia. ... Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolizing French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. ... Lolita Lebron (born Dolores Lebrón Sotomayor in 1920 in Lares, Puerto Rico) is an active advocate for Puerto Rican independence. ... Liberation theology is a school of theology within the Catholic Church that focuses on Jesus Christ as not only the Redeemer but also the Liberator of the oppressed. ... Sandra Good was a friend and room-mate of Lynette Squeaky Fromme, who allegedly attempted to assassinate US President Gerald Ford, at the time of the threat. ... Lynette Alice Squeaky Fromme (born October 22, 1948) is a former member of Charles Mansons Family, convicted of attempting to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1975. ... Charles Milles Manson (b. ...

On March 31, 1978,^[56], after the Maximum Security Unit at Alderson was closed,^[54] Shakur was transferred to the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey.^[6] A 1979 special UN investigation into human rights abuses of political prisoners cited Shakur as "one of the worst cases" of such abuses and including her in a "a class of victims of FBI misconduct through the COINTELPRO strategy and other forms of illegal government conduct who as political activists have been selectively targeted for provocation, false arrests, entrapment, fabrication of evidence, and spurious criminal prosecutions."^[12][57] Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women is a prison facility for women of the state of New Jerseys Department of Corrections, located in Clinton, New Jersey. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... UN and U.N. redirect here. ...

Escape and political asylum in Cuba

Silvia Baraldini was charged as an accomplice in Shakur's escape.

On November 2, 1979 she escaped the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey, when three members of the Black Liberation Army visiting her drew concealed .45-caliber pistols, seized two guards as hostages and commandeered a prison van.^[58] No one, including the guards, was injured during the prison break.^[9] Charged with assisting in her escape was her brother, Mutulu Shakur, and Silvia Baraldini; Ronald Boyd Hill was also held on charges related to the escape.^[59] In part for his role in the event, Mutulu was named on July 23, 1982 as the 380th addition to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, where he remained for the next four years until his capture in 1986. State correction officials disclosed in November 1979 that they had not run identity checks on Shakur's visitors^[60] and that the three men and one woman who assisted in her escape had presented false identification to enter the prison's visitor room,^[61] before which they were not searched.^[12] Silvia Baraldini Silvia Baraldini (born December 12, 1947), was active in both the Black Power and Puerto Rican independence movements in the United States in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women is a prison facility for women of the state of New Jerseys Department of Corrections, located in Clinton, New Jersey. ... Logo of the Black Liberation Army The Black Liberation Army (BLA) was an underground, black nationalist-Marxist organization that operated in the United States from 1971 to 1981. ... Mutulu Shakur (born August 8, 1950 in Baltimore, Maryland as Jeral Wayne Williams and is also known as Dr. Mutulu Shakur) was a member of the Republic of New Africa and a close friend of Geronimo Pratt. ... Silvia Baraldini Silvia Baraldini (born December 12, 1947), was active in both the Black Power and Puerto Rican independence movements in the United States in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. ... is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... In the 1980s, for the fourth decade, the United States FBI continued to maintain a public list of the people it regarded as the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. ... A background check is the process of looking up official and commercial records about a person. ...

After her escape, Assata lived as a fugitive for the next several years. The F.B.I. circulated "wanted" posters throughout the New York-New Jersey area; her supporters hung "Assata Shakur is welcome here" posters in response.^[62] In July 1980, FBI director William Webster said that the search for Shakur had been frustrated by residents' refusal to cooperate, and a New York Times editorial opined that the department's commitment to "enforce the law with vigor – but also with sensitivity for civil rights and civil liberties" had been "clouded" by an "apparently crude sweep" through a Harlem building in search of Shakur.^[63] In particular, one pre-dawn April 20, 1980 raid on 92 Morningside Avenue, during which FBI agents armed with shotguns and machine guns broke down doors, and rummaged through the building for several hours while preventing residents from leaving, was perceived by residents as having "racist overtones."^[64] In October 1980, New Jersey and New York City Police denied published reports that they had declined to raid a Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn building where Shakur was suspected to be hiding for fear of provoking a racial incident.^[65] William Hedgcock Webster (born March 6, 1924) was the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 1978 to 1987 and Director of Central Intelligence from 1987 to 1991. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... For other uses, see Harlem (disambiguation). ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Bedford-Stuyvesant (also known as Bed-Stuy) is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. ...

She fled to Cuba in 1984 where she was granted political asylum, saying she had never received a fair trial.^[62] In 1985 she was reunited with her daughter, Kakuya, who had previously been raised by Shakur's mother in New York.^[6] She published Assata: An Autobiography, which was written in Cuba, in 1987. Her autobiography has been cited in relation to critical legal studies^[66] and critical race theory.^[67] The book does not give a detailed account of the events on the New Jersey Turnpike, except saying that the jury "Convicted a woman with her hands up!"^[15] Shakur, to this day, maintains her innocence, and her writings to this effect have been widely circulated on the internet.^[68] This is a list of United States citizens who have been granted political asylum in Cuba. ... Critical legal studies refers to a movement in legal thought that applied methods similar to those of critical theory (the Frankfurt School) to law. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Extradition attempts

In 1997, Carl Williams, the superintendent of the New Jersey State Police wrote a letter to the Pope John Paul II asking him to raise the issue of Shakur's extradition during his talks with President Fidel Castro.^[69] During the pope's visit to Cuba in 1998, Shakur agreed to an interview with NBC journalist Ralph Penza.^[70] Shakur later published an extensive criticism of the NBC segment, which interpliced footage of Trooper Foerster's grieving widow with an FBI photo connected to a bank robbery of which Shakur had been acquitted.^[71] On March 10, 1998—the 85th anniversary of the death of Harriet Tubman—New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman asked Attorney General Janet Reno to do whatever it takes to return Shakur from Cuba.^[72] Later in 1998, U.S. media widely reported claims that the United States State Department had offered to lift the Cuban embargo in exchange for the return of ninety U.S. political exiles, including Shakur.^[73] Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: , Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan PaweÅ‚ II) born   []; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) reigned as the 264th Pope of... Extradition is the official process by which one nation or state requests and obtains from another nation or state the surrender of a suspected or convicted criminal. ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... Ralph Penza on WNBC in 2006. ... is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Harriet Tubman (c. ... Jon Corzine 54th Governor of New Jersey; Incumbent Christine Christie Todd Whitman, the first female governor of New Jersey The Governor of New Jersey is the chief executive of the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... Christine Todd Christie Whitman (born September 26, 1946) is an American Republican politician and author, who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush. ... Seal of the United States Department of Justice The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see 28 U.S.C. Â§ 503) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. ... Janet Reno (born July 21, 1938) was the first and to date only female Attorney General of the United States (1993–2001). ... Department of State redirects here. ... The United States embargo against Cuba (described in Cuba as el bloqueo, Spanish for the blockade) is an economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed on Cuba on February 7, 1962. ...

In 1998, the United States Congress passed a resolution asking Cuba for her "return"; House Concurrent Resolution 254 passed 371-0 in the House and by unanimous consent in the Senate.^[74] Many members of the Congressional Black Caucus later explained that they were against her extradition, but mistakenly voted for the bill which was placed on the accelerated suspension calendar, generally reserved for non-controversial legislation.^[75] Representative Maxine Waters of California, who voted for the resolution, later explained her opposition, calling COINTELPRO "illegal, clandestine political persecution."^[14] Extradition is the official process by which one nation or state requests and obtains from another nation or state the surrender of a suspected or convicted criminal. ... Unanimous consent, in parliamentary procedure, refers to situations in which a motion can pass if no one present objects. ... The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing African American members of the Congress of the United States. ... Maxine Waters (born Maxine Moore Carr on August 15, 1938) has served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1991, representing the 35th District of California (map). ... COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) was a program of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation aimed at investigating and disrupting dissident political organizations within the United States. ...

On May 2, 2005, the thirty-second anniversary of the Turnpike shootings, the F.B.I. classified her as a "domestic terrorist", increasing the reward for assistance in her capture to $1 million,^[76][62] the largest reward placed on an individual in the history of New Jersey.^[4] New Jersey State Police superintendent Rick Fuentes said "she is now 120 pounds of money."^[4] New York City Councilman Charles Barron, a former Black Panther, has called for the bounty to be rescinded.^[77] The New Jersey State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation each still have an agent officially assigned to her case.^[78] is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The written history of New Jersey began with the exploration of the Jersey Coast by Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524, though the region had been settled for millennia by Native Americans. ... The New Jersey State Police is the state police force for the state of New Jersey. ... Charles Barron is a former Black Panther, and a Democratic New York City Councilmember who contemplated running for mayor of New York City in the 2005 election, and in 2006 was a primary candidate for a seat in the U.S. Congress. ...

Legacy

Shakur was the godmother of rapper Tupac Shakur.

A documentary film about Shakur, "Eyes of the Rainbow," written and directed by Gloria Rolando, appeared in 1997.^[6] The National Conference of Black Lawyers, and Mos Def are among the professional organizations and entertainers to support Assata Shakur; The "Hands off Assata" campaign is organized by Dream Hampton.^[4] Hip-hop artist Common recorded a tribute to Shakur, "A Song for Assata," on his album Like Water for Chocolate, after traveling to Havana to meet with Shakur personally.^[79] Rapper Paris recorded a similar "Assata's Song."^[4] Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac, Makaveli, or simply as Pac, was an American artist renowned for his rap music, movie roles, poetry, and his social activism. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... The National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL), is an American association, formed in 1968, to serve as the Black Liberation movement’s legal arm and aid other black activists, it is made up of judges, law students, lawyers, legal activists, legal workers, and scholars. ... Mos Def (born Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.), is an American rapper and actor. ... Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. ... Like Water for Chocolate is an album by rapper Common, released in March 2000. ... This article is about the capital of Cuba. ... Paris hails from the San Francisco Bay Area and was catapulted onto the national scene in 1990 with his hit single The Devil Made Me Do It and album of the same name, after earning a degree in economics from University of California-Davis. ...

On December 12, 2006, the Chancellor of the City University of New York, Matthew Goldstein, directed City College's president, Gregory H. Williams, to remove the "unauthorized and inappropriate" designation of the "Guillermo Morales/Assata Shakur Community and Student Center," which was named by students in 1989, when a student group won the right to use the lounge after a campus shutdown over proposed tuition increases.^[80] In 1995, Manhattan Community College renamed a scholarship which had previously been named for Shakur, following controversy.^[81] is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The City University of New York (CUNY; acronym: IPA pronunciation: ), is the public university system of New York City. ... Dr. Matthew Goldstein is the current chancellor of the City University of New York (CUNY). ...

References

• Churchill, Ward and James Vander Wall. 2002. The Cointelpro papers: documents from the FBI's secret wars against dissent in the United States. South End Press. ISBN 0896086488.
• James, Joy. 2003. Imprisoned Intellectuals: America's Political Prisoners Write on Life, Liberation, and Rebellion. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0742520277.
• Scheffler, Judith A. 2002. Wall Tappings: An International Anthology of Women's Prison Writings, 200 to the Present. Feminist Press. ISBN 1558612734.
• Shakur, Assata. 1987 (New edition November 1, 1999). Assata: An Autobiography. Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books. ISBN 1556520743.
• Williams, Evelyn. 1993. Inadmissible Evidence: The Story of the African-American Trial Lawyer who Defended the Black Liberation Army. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Lawrence Hill Books.

Ward LeRoy Churchill (born October 2, 1947) is an American writer and political activist. ... The COINTELPRO Papers: Documents from the FBIs Secret War Against Domestic Dissent is a book by Ward Churchill and Jim Vander Wall. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ...

Notes

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Arabic redirects here. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ward LeRoy Churchill (born October 2, 1947) is an American writer and political activist. ... Manning Marable (b. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A 1911 copy of the NAACP journal The Crisis depicting Ra-Maat-Neb, one of the black kings of the Upper Nile. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ...

External links

• www.AssataShakur.Org
• www.PanAfrican.TV interviews
• Wanted by the FBI - Joanne Deborah Chesimard
• New Jersey State Police Wanted Page
• From the Law Enforcement Perspective
• The Eyes Of The Rainbow Documentary