Tarun 6 Report post Posted March 13, 2002 5:34 PM PST,March 13, 2002 Talk about it E-mail story Print H. Rap Brown Sentenced to Life in Prison Rejecting a death sentence, jury sentences former black power radical to life in prison for killing deputy. ======================= Times Headlines Roger Clinton Said to Be Deeply Tied to Pardons Jury Rejects Insanity Claim, Convicts Mother of Murder Illegal Immigrants Aided on Residency Bid in House Vote Scandal Shaking Catholicism to Core Democrats Divide Over Nuclear Plan ================================ By MITCH STACY , Associated Press ATLANTA -- Rejecting the prosecution's call for death sentence, a jury sentenced former 60s radical known as H. Rap Brown to life in prison Wednesday for killing sheriff's deputy in a shootout two years ago. The jury deliberated for about five hours before deciding to spare the life of the Muslim cleric now called Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin. He will not have a chance at parole. The 58-year-old Al-Amin, wearing the robes and hat of a cleric, showed no emotion when sentence was read. "He's alive-- and that creates another day for us to fight," said Al-Amin's brother, Ed Brown. Al-Amin was convicted Saturday of killing Deputy Ricky Kinchen as the officer tried to serve him with an arrest warrant. Another deputy was wounded, but survived and identified Al-Amin as the gunman. The judge, who was bound by the jury's decision Wednesday, formally sentenced Al-Amin to life without parole plus 35 years for the other charges in the 13-count indictment. "This is just a starting point for us to heal and go on," said the slain deputy's sister-in-law, Lisa Francis. Al-Amin leads one of the nation's largest black Muslim groups, the National Ummah. The movement, which has formed 36 mosques around the nation, is credited with revitalizing poverty-stricken pockets such as Atlanta's West End, where he owned a grocery store. Many Americans are familiar with Al-Amin as H. Rap Brown, a 1960s militant who served as a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. In 1967, he characterized violence as a vital tool for blacks, "as American as cherry pie." Brown changed his name when he converted to the Dar-ul Islam movement in the 1970s while serving a five-year sentence for his role in a robbery that ended in a shootout with New York police. His trial here had been postponed after the Sept. 11 attacks because the judge feared anti-Muslim sentiment would taint the jury pool. Defense attorneys had pleaded with the jury to spare Al-Amin, who was described by character witnesses as a peaceful religious leader. Prosecutors portrayed Al-Amin as a deliberate killer who deprived a family of a husband, son and father. Members of Kinchen's family testified about their difficulty recovering from his death. The surviving deputy, Aldranon English, testified that Al-Amin pulled an assault rifle and opened fire when he and Kinchen tried to serve him with a warrant on minor charges. Al-Amin, according to testimony, then produced a 9 mm handgun and shot Kinchen three times as he lay bleeding in the street. English picked Al-Amin out of a photo lineup from his hospital bed the next day. Defense attorneys said English was mistaken and someone else had shot the deputies. They also suggested that Al-Amin was framed as part of a government conspiracy that has dogged him since his days as a radical civil rights activist. Al-Amin was arrested four days after the shootings in White Hall, Ala. The .223-caliber Ruger assault rifle and Browning handgun were recovered in the woods nearby. The defense suggested the weapons had been planted by federal authorities. = = = = = = No! You don't say! How could they? They're honest cops, only doing their job, right? After what I saw today at our library, this country's headed downhill. NYPD would've arrived faster had they crawled in on their hands & knees. Any cop, Fed, State or otherwise... nah, forget it. They're so far off base even an blind armless pitcher could pick them off. Kaliyuga from head to toe. Change of uniform included. = = = = = If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives. For information about reprinting this article, go to www.lats.com/rights. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mahak 0 Report post Posted March 14, 2002 I guess he shoulda let dem oinks "Fredhamptonize" him. Whatever happened to the idea of self defense. Sorry, Mr. Brown. But I know you knew the final outcome, just like X, just like MLK. Insta'allah. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tarun 6 Report post Posted March 15, 2002 Some 'shades' of self-defense r more acceptable. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tarun 6 Report post Posted March 18, 2002 H Rap Brown was again featured yesterday on ABC's Like It Is. 2nd 1/2 discussed Malcolm X's recently auctioned-off records. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mahak 0 Report post Posted March 19, 2002 Great documentary movie, titled "Malcolm X" (produced by betty shabazz in 1972), was shown on cbc last sunday. What a great documentary, much archivial footage of all the leaders, HRBrown, FHampton, great shot of a young maya angelou with malcolm in Giza. Im a malcolm fan, from way back. haribol, ys, mnahak Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
