This morning, I was surfing about and found this post over at Katey's Cafe. We Phillyites are reminded of this case quite often, and after 25 years, it's no less an abomination.

Police Officer Daniel J. Faulkner
Philadelphia Police Department
Pennsylvania
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 9, 1981



Biographical Info
Age: 25
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: 4699

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Wednesday, December 9, 1981
Weapon Used: Handgun; .38 caliber
Suspect Info: Convicted of murder

Officer Faulkner was shot and killed while making a traffic stop.

Officer Faulkner stopped the driver of a light blue Volkswagen at the corner of Thirteenth Street and Locust Street for driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Officer Faulkner had the driver exit the vehicle.

As Officer Faulkner was speaking with the driver, the driver struck Officer Faulkner in the face. Officer Faulkner struck the driver back and attempted to take him into custody. As Officer Faulkner was attempting to subdue the driver, the driver's brother came running from a parking lot across the street from the spot where Officer Faulkner had the driver of the Volkswagen. While Officer Faulkner's back was turned, the brother of the driver opened fire, striking Officer Faulkner in the back four times. Officer Faulkner fell to the ground, but was able to return fire, striking the suspect. The wounded suspect was able to fire again as he stood over the fallen officer, striking him in the face.

The suspect attempted to flee but fell to the ground several feet from where he had just shot Officer Faulkner. When back-up officers arrived they found Officer Faulkner mortally wounded and the suspect, murder weapon in hand, laying several feet away.

The suspect, who was a member of the racist group Black Panthers, was charged with murder. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in two separate trials. In December 2001 a federal judge overturned the death sentence and ordered a new sentencing hearing.

Officer Faulkner had served with the agency for 5 years. He is survived by his wife.

The Black Panthers was a racist, radical group that professed the murders of law enforcement officers. Members and former members of the group were responsible for the murders of at least 15 law enforcement officers and the wounding of dozens more across the nation.

So for stopping a driver who was driving the wrong way on a one-way street, this man was assaulted and murdered in cold blood. I've been stopped many times (heavy foot, ya know), but I've never seen any need to hit the cop.

This piece of shit was convicted in no less than TWO separate trials. At this point, there's no arguing that he was innocent. He killed Officer Faulkner because he was white and because he was a police officer. This motive couldn't be more clear, as he was a member of a known hate group with views and goals that rival those of the Ku Klux Klan. The guy's a fucking bigot. Entitled to his view he is, but he has no justification to act upon them as he did. This traffic stop occurred because his brother was driving the wrong way on a one-way street. In Philadelphia, you can expect this. I was stopped in Philly 1989 for driving on the left side of the road (someone must have turned a one-way sign back at Chestnut Street where I turned). I didn't hit the cop. I didn't bitch at him or try to get out of it. I simply apologized and said that I was sure that I had seen a one-way sign where I turned. Had the officer chosen to cite me (he didn't), he would have been completely justified in doing so, and I would not have hit him or made any waves.

This site has lots of 411 about the case:

Justice for Daniel Faulkner

I say fry the bastard.

Also look at this list, and take anything said or done by any of these people with a grain of salt. You may be surprised at who's on it. Then again, you may not.

RWR