On December 4, 1969, a tactical unit of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office raided an apartment. They shot and killed Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois branch of the Black Panthers, and Panthers member Mark Clark. Several other occupants of the apartment were injured. The Chicago Police and the FBI had worked with the the Attorney's office in the time leading up to the raid. The Attorney's office claimed that there had been gunfire from the apartment. Analysis showed the Attorney's office had fired approximately 100 times, the occupants of the apartment just once. Hampton's corpse was found in his bed. The following month, a coroner's jury found the deaths were justifiable homicide. A civil lawsuit was initiated on behalf of Hampton, Clark, and the wounded. In 1982, the Federal Government, Cook County, and the City of Chicago settled the case, each paying one-third of $1.85 million. Subsequent evidence has led many to the conclusion that Hampton, who had been declared a radical threat in 1967 by the FBI, was assassinated.
This movie is composed of footage of Hampton and his associates, as well as footage of officials denying any attempt to kill Hampton, along with relevant footage of evidence and testimony about his death. It's a powerful movie, at least in part because of the skillful editing of the material by John Mason and director-cinematographer-editor Howard Alk.
Was Hampton, as the FBI claimed, a "radical threat"? Well, he was a radical, who can be seen in the footage speaking about his socialist beliefs. The rest is a matter of conjecture, which will vary according to your political beliefs.
This movie is composed of footage of Hampton and his associates, as well as footage of officials denying any attempt to kill Hampton, along with relevant footage of evidence and testimony about his death. It's a powerful movie, at least in part because of the skillful editing of the material by John Mason and director-cinematographer-editor Howard Alk.
Was Hampton, as the FBI claimed, a "radical threat"? Well, he was a radical, who can be seen in the footage speaking about his socialist beliefs. The rest is a matter of conjecture, which will vary according to your political beliefs.