In the end, charges were dropped for all but two former BLA members, Herman Bell and Jalil Muntagim. In 2002, police in Minnesota reopened an investigation into the death of a local police officer, which led to the arrest of Ronald Reed, a former mem- ber of the Black United Front In 2001, NYPD detectives investi- another matter discovered that had once been associated with the Black Liberation Army and was a suspect in the killing of Officer Greene. The detectives contacted the Atlanta Police Department, which re- opened the case. Using the statements from Samuel Cooper from 1972, the police were able to extradite Sadiki and charge him with the killing of Greene. Ronald Anderson, Malik Abdur-Razzaq (formerly Robert Brown) and Avon White, all former BLA members tumed informants, stated they heard Sadiki and Twymon Myers admit to the killing and testi- fied as much in court. Myers was no longer alive following a shootout with police in November of 1973, Despite the government’s case, Kamau Sadiki has claimed his inno- cence in Greene’s killing. He states that the government has refused to allow testimony from witnesses that would exonerate him. An example of this i the testimony of Ignae Thomas. ‘Thomas, the former spouse of the BLA leader, John Leo Thomas, states. that she heard both Twymon Myers. and John Thomas admit to the killing Ignae stated that John Thomas was guilt-ridden that he allowed others to think that Sadiki was responsible for the murder. The government claims their rejection of Iznae Thomas’ tes- timony was because her loyalty to Sadiki would give her cause to make false statements. During the initial stages of the in- Vestigation, investigators told Sadi that unless he helped the US govern- ‘ment capture Assata Shakur, he would “die in prison.” They told him that if he worked with them and "got Assata. o leave Cuba” and go to some other country where they could apprehend her that they would not prosecute him on the killing of Greene. Sadiki refused to participate in the ‘government’s plot against Assata and was subsequently convicted in Octo- ber 2003 or Greene’s murder. He wi sentenced 1o life in prison plus ten ‘years to run consecutively. Sadiki suffers from several ailments, including Hepatitis C, Cirrhosis of the Liver and Sarcoidosis. Because of these conditions, his health has con- tinued to deteriorate. In late 2018, doctors were looking to amputate Sadiki’s foot rather than treat an in- fected wound. Thankfully, due to ‘erowing pressure from supporters, the doctors treated the would instead of amputation. It is for this reason that support for his liberation i so eritical. Kamau Sadiki Black Liberation Army Prisoner of War Kamau Sadiki is a former member of the Black Liberation Army (BLA) who is currently serving a life sen- tence for the killing of an Atlanta po- lice officer in November of 1971 Sadiki’s case was part of a renewed campaign during the early 20005 to target former revolutionaries from the 19605 and 70s. In 1969, at the young age of sixteen, Sadiki (known at the time as Freddy Hilton) joined the Black Panther Party, working out of the Jamaica of- fice in Queens, New York. He worked primarily in the Free Breakfast Pro- gram, providing free meals to chil- dren in the community. He has been described by those who knew him as a passionate young man who “internalized the 10 Point Pro- ‘eram and Platform, the 3 Main Rules of Discipline and § Points of Atten- tion of the Panther Party. When the Free Breakfast Program was over for the day, he reported to the office, gathered his papers and received his assignment for the day, and went out into the community to sell his papers. While selling his papers he continued o educate the people, while organiz- ing tenants, welfare mothers, whomever he came in contact” COINTELPRO and the BLA As the Black Panthers began to row in size, power and national at- tention, the FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, declared the Black Panther Party 10 be the greatest threat to na- tional security. As part of the ongoing. FBI’s Counter-Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO), the US government engaged in an offensive campaign to neutralize and destroy the Black Pan- ther Party. In a 1968 memorandum, the FBI director had instructed agents. to “submit imaginative and hard-hit- ting counter-intelligence measure aimed at crippling the BPP” within a context of “gang warfare” and “atten- dant threats of murder and reprisal.” In subsequent years, the agency fos- tered divisions internally within the Black Panthers and externally wit other organizations, leading 10 vio- lence and death. Members of the or- ganization were also targeted by federal, state and local policing agen- cies, leading to political assassina- tions (as in the case of Fred Hampton) Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603 Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603 and/or fabricated convictions (as in the case of Geronimo Ji-Jaga Pratt ) Many members of the Black Pan- ther Party felt they had no choice but 0 go underground or risk imprison- ment or death. Kamau Sadiki was one ofthose individuals. Before going un- derground, Sadiki had already been arrested twice for an alleged assault ona police officer and weapons pos- session. It was only a matter of time before he became a target. It was at this time he joined the ranks of the newly formed Black Liberation Army (BLA), an organization that engaged in a counter-offensive campaign against the State. In August of 1971, Sadiki and a dozen other members of the Black Liberation Army moved from New York to a house in DeKalb County, Georgia. The group allegedly under- went rigorous training in marksman- ship, survival, first aid, map reading and perfecting plans for bank expro- priations. On November 3, 1971, shortly after midnight, Atlanta_officer James Greene was shot three times and Killed while sitting in a parked police van. His gun and badge were taken from the scene A week after Atlanta patrolman Greene was killed, police raided the ‘roup’s house due to an investigation into a bank expropriation at the Fulton National Bank a month prior. Eight members of the Black Liberation Army were arrested. Sadiki was not present during the raid. One month later, ten individuals escaped from the county jai, including the cight mem- bers of the Black Liberation Army. However, it would not be long before. most of those who escaped would ei- ther turn themselves back in or be ar- rested. “My joining the Black Pan- ther Party and consequently the Black Liberation Army was a response to the op- pressive climate that existed in America at the time.” - Kamau Saiki ‘Around the same time of the raid, Sadiki was stopped with another Black Liberation Army member at a roadblock in North Carolina follow- ing the shooting of a Catawba County deputy sheriff. Two other BLA mem- bers (Robert Brown and William Owens) were convicted of that action. There was no indication of Sadiki’s involvement but he and his co-defen- dant, Avon White, were convicted on charges of carrying concealed weapons. They were both sentenced o a six-month prison term. After his release, Sadiki went back underground and retumned to the New York area. However, it would not take. long before he came under the atten- tion of law enforcement. In Septem- ber of 1972, Samuel Cooper, one of the men who escaped from DeKalb County jail who remained at-large, was captured in Miami. While in cus- tody, Cooper claimed that Sadiki and another BLA member, Twymon Mey- ers were responsible for the killing of Greene. Despite the information pro- vided by Cooper, the District Attorney did not feel he had enough evidence 1o indict the two men In January of the following year, six members of the Black Liberation Army, including Kamau Sadiki, were indicted for various actions police claimed were connected to the organ- ization. Sadiki was indicted on federal charges following the expropriation of funds from the Manufacturer’s Hanover Trust Company in the Bronx in September of 1972 He managed to avoid arest until he was captured on June 7, 1973, as part of a federal stakeout In December of that year, he, and his co-defendant, Assata Shakur, stood tral for the bank expropriation. However, the case ended in a mistrial. They were tried a second time, but the jury acquitted the two BLA members Both, however, remained in detention for additional charges relating to two. separate incidents. Shakur was charged in the killing of a state trooper on the New Jersey Turnpike. Sadiki was charged with the shooting of two police officers in March of 1973, a case that also eventually end inacquittal. However, in July of 1974, Sadiki was tried in another bank ex- propriation that took place in Queen in April of 1973. This time he was found guilty and sentenced to five ‘years in prison. Itis important to note that during these trials, Assata Shakur was preg- nant with a child she shared with Sadiki. During her trials, she was forced 1o serve most of her time at Rikers Island and had her child while in custody. In 1979, Shakur escaped from the Clinton Correctional Institu- tion for Women and able to travel to Cuba where there laws o the US. are no extradition Release and New Charges Sadiki was released from prison in 1981. Since that time, he attempted to live a life of normaley and stability. He dedicated himself to his Muslim faith and worked at the local tele- phone company for more than 1§ ‘years. During that time, he raised his two daughters, both of whom finished college and are now married with families of their own, In the early 20005, police agencies throughout the country began investi- gating old cases relating to the revo- lutionary movements of the 60s and 70, In 1999, a former Symbiones Liberation Army (SLA) member, Kathleen Soliah, was arrested in con- nection to a bank expropriation by the SLAin 1975. Along with Soliah, four other SLA members (Bill Harris, Emily Harris, Michael Bortin, and James Kilgore) stood trial and were convicted for the incident. In 1999, San Francisco police reopened an in- vestigation of the killing of a San Francisco police officer. The investi- gation eventually led to the indict- ment of eight members of the Black Panthers and Black Liberation Army. Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603 Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603