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The FOP and Mumia - 25 Years of Lies and Intimidation
by
Kevin Price | 12.15.2006
*A Brief history of Mumia's case and the campaign for his execution by the Fraternal Order of Police This December 9th, 2006 marked 25 years since police officer Daniel Faulkner was killed and Mumia Abu-Jamal was shot and beaten by police. A quarter century later the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) are still desperately attempting to complete the task that they failed in 1981: the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal. In 1981, Mumia Abu-Jamal was shot with a bullet through the lung, had his head repeatedly rammed into a steal pole, and in this critical condition was driven around Philadelphia in the back of a police paddy wagon for nearly an hour (even though the hospital was within a few blocks) as the police waited for him to die. However, Mumia did not die so the state’s next best option was to fabricate evidence and railroad him In June of 1982, Mumia went to trial before Judge Albert Sabo, a lifetime member of the Fraternal Order of Police, known in the media as “the hanging judge” and “the prosecutor’s best friend.” The prosecution presented what would have been a very tight case, almost open and shut, if it weren’t for the fact that it was riddled with coercion and fabrication. However with a judge like Sabo, Philly media printing only the police story and a jury racially stacked against Mumia; conviction was inevitable. And the sentence…death. If it were not for a powerful global movement in Mumia’s support the FOP would have gotten their wish long ago and Mumia would have faced legal lynching. However, the movement continues to push for a new trial and for freedom for Mumia, keeping the eyes of the world focused on this man whose case brings together struggles internationally. The FOP has continued to use politics and influence to pressure people to pull their support for Mumia. Time and time again people have publicly taken a stand for justice for Mumia and the FOP has started a public campaign against them. Sadly, oftentimes those who have taken a strong and righteous stand will back away and submit to silence for fear of what the FOP will do. Most recently FOP focus has come upon the mayoral race in Philadelphia which, according to Radio Times on NPR, could be strongly influenced by candidates’ positions on Mumia’s case. Democratic candidate and current Congressman Chaka Fattah is the latest FOP target. In 1995 and ‘99 death warrants were signed for Mumia. Both times Fattah put out press releases against the execution saying that Mumia may be innocent and he definitely needs a new trial. This past October Bob Eddis, President of FOP Lodge #5 asked Chaka Fattah if he believed Mumia deserved a new trial. According to Mr. Eddis, Fattah answered yes. Next Eddis asked Fattah why he didn’t sign on to the congressional resolution condemning Saint Denis, France for naming a street after Mumia. According to Eddis, Fattah stated that he didn’t sign on because the bill was introduced by a republican. Shortly following that interview the FOP sent out a letter telling people to not even consider Fattah a candidate for Mayor. In early December the FOP took the issue to the media with articles published in every major Philadelphia paper. The FOP backed resolution to condemn the French street naming for Mumia was voted on December 6th. "The House action" said Pam Africa, chair of the International Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, "is designed to weigh in on and promote an atmosphere in the U.S. judiciary that is prejudicial to Mumia's receiving any form of justice today." The resolution was supported 368-31. The outcome of the vote should be no surprise. The FOP’s bullying tactics make voting against their interests political suicide. According to the Associated Press, the Philadelphia FOP sent a representative to Washington to watch the vote, and especially Fattah. With this kind of pressure it is no surprise that Fattah voted for the resolution and against Mumia. Keep in mind this is the same tactic that the police used on the many witnesses who changed their testimony to match the prosecution version. When asked why he voted for the resolution Fattah stated "anyone who stands convicted of so terrible an offense is an affront to those who risk their lives on a daily basis to serve." Keep in mind this is the same man who in 1999 stated “The only thing we know for sure is that he has not been given due process and that alone is enough for a new trial.” It makes no sense for a man who has clearly stated that he wants a new trial for Mumia to vote against a street named in order to call attention to the fact that Mumia didn’t have a fair trial and to aid in the struggle to obtain one. Fattah knew that this was the purpose of the street. The International Concerned family and friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal had personally delivered statements from the French politicians responsible for the street to Fattah which made this fact inexplicably clear. One of those statements by Patrick Braouezec, former Mayor of Saint-Denis; President of the Community of 12 Suburban Cities, including Saint-Denis; and elected representative to the National Assembly of France stated, This is a recent and clear example of the modus operandi of the FOP. It is the same tactic they have tried against Sting, Rage Against the Machine, Attorney Angus Love, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, and many many others to stop their support of Mumia. It is a sad testament to the degree that we live in a police state where intimidation brings silence and fear. On December 8th, 2006 NBC 10 ran a story of two more people who claim they heard Mumia confess in the hospital on December 9th, 1981. NBC 10 reports that on Dec. 9th, 1981 William Colarulo (now a Chief Inspector for the Philadelphia police) was a “rookie cop assigned to guard the door to the emergency room.” Colarulo told NBC 10 that after Abu-Jamal arrived at the hospital, he confessed to his then partner Tom Brady. "He said to my partner something to the effect, 'I'm glad I shot the M-F’. That’s what my partner said (Abu-Jamal) told him,” said Colarulo. The second new account from that morning comes from Kathleen Gerrow. Now an executive producer at NBC 10, Gerrow was a radio reporter in 1981 covering the story at the hospital. "I distinctly remember a very distinctive voice shouting, 'I shot the mother f----er, I shot the mother f----er,” said Gerrow. At trial in 1982 the alleged confession by Mumia was one of the key pieces of “evidence” used to convict Mumia. However, this story is so full of holes that if there were to be a new, fair trial, this nonsense would be key to convincing jurors that this is a frame-up. Not one of the officers who claimed to have heard this “confession” even reported it until 2 months later, directly after Mumia filed a brutality suit against the police. Officer Gary Bell even wrote in his log that “the negro male made no comments” but later came forward and said that Mumia had confessed but that he was traumatized and forgot to write it. This was not the first time that police tried to pass a fake confession story though. The first report of Abu-Jamal confessing to the murder of Faulkner came from the high-ranking Inspector Alfonso Giordano (former Captain of the Civil Defense unit). Arriving at 13th & Locust within minutes, Giordano claimed that Abu-Jamal confessed to him while lying in the police wagon. While the Philadelphia Bulletin immediately reported that Mumia “admitted shooting the police officer in a brief comment to Police Inspector Giordano,” the prosecution did not cite this during the 1982 trial—likely because of credibility issues. Shortly after Mumia’s arrest, Giordano resigned after learning that he was under federal investigation for corruption. Years later he pled guilty to federal charges of tax evasion for not reporting at least $55,000 earned from extortion in 1979 and 1980. In 1999 the FOP began promoting another man who had supposedly heard Mumia confess. This man, Phillip Bloch, frequently visited inmates on death row and claimed that one time Mumia had told him that he regretted killing Faulkner. The FOP threw Bloch’s testimony out there as if it would seal Mumia’s fate. They paraded him around and talked about him on talk radio constantly. That is until he was exposed for being a liar. It was documented that he had written to Mumia in support and paid to sign newspaper ads after the date when Mumia supposedly confessed. The FOP immediately dropped him like a hot potato and alleged that he was a drug user. These two new stories are weak attempts to piece together a fabricated confession that has long since crumbled. The intimidation of Chaka Fattah is symptomatic of the tactic of threats and intimidation dominating the forces against Mumia. Twenty five years and they continue to expose themselves. These tactics are not at all unique to Mumia’s case. The state is currently campaigning against the MOVE 9, who come up for parole in 2008. To see the degree of control that these terrorist goons known as the FOP reign over the courts and prison system just look at US political prisoner Veronza Bowers. He was paroled over a year ago but due to pressure from the FOP he remains in prison. In January 2007 the 3rd circuit court of appeals will make some sort of decision in Mumia’s case. This is his absolute last appeal. He could get death or a new trial and eventual release. The FOP is working 24 hours a day to stop the breath in his lungs and thus seal the police thuggery that controls our society. We need you to join us in our 24 hour a day struggle for freedom! |
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