Huey P. Newton
Newton sent to prison for manslaughter
There are differing versions of the incident, but here is
what is agreed apon: On the early morning hours of Oct. 28, 1967 in Oakland,
Huey Newton was wounded, a police officer killed and another officer wounded
after Newton was stopped by police in a car. Newton suffered gunshot wounds to
the stomach. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. (The Oakland police,
angry over the failure to convict Newton of murder, shot holes thru the window
of the Panther's national headquarters.) In response to the sentence, the
Panthers mounted an international "Free Huey" campaign, making Newton
into an international cause celebrity. When Newton was set free after his
conviction was reversed in 1970 by the California Court of Appeals, Bobby Seale
and other Party organizers had built the Black Panther Party into an
international organization.
Newton became an expatriate in 1974, fleeing to Cuba after being charged
with, among other things, fatally shooting a prostitute. (INTERVIEW) He returned to the United States in 1977 to face murder
charges. A mistrial was declared after the jury was deadlocked. A Superior Court
judge later dismissed the charges.
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Copyright © 2001-, Terry Muse
Revised: November 6, 2001
URL: http://black_and_hispanic.tripod.com/blackhistory/
Contact: Terry Muse