Guess Which Black Panther Killer Was Just Granted Parole?
(TruthandLiberty.com) – During the 1970s, the Black Panthers rose to prominence as the Black Liberation Movement picked up steam throughout much of America. At times, the group became openly hostile toward police and law enforcement. On May 2, 1973, New Jersey State Trooper James Harper pulled over Sundiata Acoli and two other Black Panther members over a broken taillight, according to Fox News. Trooper Werner Foerster joined in the stop. Little did the officers know the three individuals had handguns. Foerster frisked Acoli and found his gun and ammo. That’s when Acoli grabbed the officer’s gun, shot, and killed him.
Now 85 years old, Acoli is the oldest member of the Black Panthers still imprisoned. He was eligible for parole 29 years ago, but the board denied his plea despite his exemplary behavior. On Tuesday, May 10, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Acoli should go free after 50 years in prison. A state-appointed psychologist determined Acoli showed extreme remorse for Foerster’s death and recommended his release.
New Jersey’s highest court has ordered the parole of Sundiata Acoli, a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army who was convicted in the 1973 shooting death of a state trooper. https://t.co/3WBxxpxHRy
— Gothamist (@Gothamist) May 10, 2022
The state high court ruled the parole board unlawfully denied the Black Panther’s petition in 2010. The board found Acoli was still a threat to public safety. The New Jersey high court said the parole board lost sight of its mission to determine the man Acoli had become, not the man he was in 1973.
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