Submitted by electric_ranger t3_ydwovo in philadelphia
-redacted_- t1_itw1374 wrote
Reply to comment by ForkBombGoBoom in Hearing for Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted in officer's 1981 death, set for Wednesday by electric_ranger
It’s interesting how the commenters here all seem to have seen definitive evidence for Mumia murdering Faulkner. Based on what I remember reading the ballistics couldn’t say with certainty that the bullet in Faulkner came from Mumia’s gun. But if it did, isn’t there still room for a case of self defense there?
As far as the witnesses go, anyone that reads about the trial for even five minutes can see there are serious issues of credibility and corruption with the witnesses. If I recall correctly, several witnesses (who did not testify) recalled seeing another man fleeing the scene of the crime.
EDIT: it’s actually worse than I remembered. This Baltimore Sun article states, “the Philadelphia Police Department's own medical examiner concluded that the officer's fatal head wound was made by a .44 caliber bullet. Mumia Abu-Jamal's pistol was a .38 caliber.”
And yes, FOUR other witnesses who were never put on the stand, including one woman whose apartment overlooked the intersection, also reported seeing a [different] man running away.
EDIT 2: I’ve been shadowbanned from commenting further on this thread (and probably the whole sub). The censorship by moderators of /r/Philadelphia is honestly so pathetic. I hope you guys feel good for protecting people from further context and facts though!
ForkBombGoBoom t1_itw71e5 wrote
You "recall" everything incorrectly.
-redacted_- t1_itw7etm wrote
That could be the case, but at least I’m admitting that I’m going off of memory. Do you have any sources that refute what I remember reading?
ForkBombGoBoom t1_itwwo40 wrote
Go to google, type in Mumia Abu-Jamal and do the research yourself.
-redacted_- t1_itxxi1x wrote
I have done that and I’m not any closer to believing your assertions.
There are many, many issues with this case and many questions left unanswered.
ForkBombGoBoom t1_itzxevm wrote
There are not any legitimate questions. There are several eyewitnesses that saw the encounter, clear ballistics evidence, and Mumia was found on scene with Faulkner's bullet in him, and he attempted to shoot the backup when they arrived as well. The misinformation propaganda from the MOVE terrorists has been relentless, though.
Anyway, here's a summary.
Here's the text:
> Mumia Abu-Jamal Remained at the Scene and Was Physically Identified as the Killer By Several Eyewitnesses > > Though he attempted to flee, because of his wound Jamal was only able to move a few steps away from Officer Faulkner’s body, where he collapsed on the curb. This fact is verified by the testimony of four of the five eyewitnesses to Officer Faulkner’s murder. The Police Radio Tape Transmittal establishes that after pulling William Cook’s vehicle over and prior to exiting his patrol car, Officer Faulkner requested backup at 3:51:08 AM. The Radio Transmission Log also verifies that the first police vehicle arrived on the scene at 3:52:27 AM, just 90 seconds after Officer Faulkner exited his vehicle to question William Cook. > > Based on this information it is clear that less than a minute passed between the time when Officer Faulkner was shot and Mumia Abu-Jamal was spotted sitting on the pavement next to Officer Faulkner’s body, by Officers Shoemaker and Forbes, who were the first officers on the scene. The jury heard Officer Shoemaker state that upon seeing the gun next to Jamal, he ordered him to “freeze.” He further stated that instead of surrendering, as an innocent person would, Jamal attempted to raise his gun and fire at them. According to Shoemaker, as Mumia Abu-Jamal attempted to reach his gun, he chose not to use deadly force to subdue him, but instead chose to kick Jamal in the throat and then kicked the gun away from him. > > Officers then attempted to subdue Jamal, who resisted their efforts. After a violent struggle the arresting officers handcuffed Jamal and threw him into the back of the police van that Officer Faulkner had summoned to arrest Cook. (N.T. 6/19/82, 116) > > The jury also heard from each of 3 eyewitnesses (Robert Chobert, Cynthia White and Albert Magilton) who stated that just moments after Jamal was subdued, they were asked to look at him as he lay inside the wagon. Each stated that they physically identified Mumia Abu-Jamal as the man they had just seen run across the street and shoot Officer Faulkner. At trial, these individuals again identified Jamal as the killer. Chobert stated that he never lost sight of Jamal from the moment he shot Faulkner until he was placed in the van. (N.T. 6/19/82, 210-213)
Lots more info on that site that can be easily verified by the court records themselves. I leave that as an exercise for the reader.
[deleted] t1_iu38mpb wrote
[removed]
[deleted] t1_itxbgp7 wrote
[deleted]
-redacted_- t1_ity0xet wrote
You read what you wanted to read, I guess? Not a single thing that I wrote there was a lie.
gigidim t1_ity5qis wrote
You are repeating the "I read the transcripts" crowd of incorrect info every Philadelphian old enough yo remember hears. The coroner's note indicated the wrong gun. The ballistics did not.
Seriously, there are many innocent people in jail who deserve your support and a new trial.
Indiana_Jawnz t1_iu29aer wrote
>“the Philadelphia Police Department's own medical examiner concluded that the officer's fatal head wound was made by a .44 caliber bullet. Mumia Abu-Jamal's pistol was a .38 caliber.”
Yeah, no.
"When asked to provide proof to support this allegation, Jamal’s supporters point to a handwritten note made by Assistant Medical Examiner, Dr. Paul Hoyer. Dr. Hoyer’s note said, “shot 44 Cal”.
Dr. Hoyer testified at the 1995 PCRA Hearing and explained that his 1981 note merely reflected his speculation at what caliber the bullet might be, made when he first saw the wound and before he started the autopsy. The note was written on a piece of scrap paper, and was not a part of (and was never intended to be a part of) his professional findings."
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