Fred Hampton | |
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Born | August 30, 1948 Summit, Illinois, U.S. |
Died | December 4, 1969 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | (aged 21)
Cause of death | Shooting[1] |
Resting place | Bethel Cemetery Haynesville, Louisiana, U.S.[2] |
Citizenship | American |
Education | Proviso East High School |
Occupation(s) | Activist, revolutionary |
Years active | 1965–1969 |
Known for | Deputy chairman of the Illinois chapter Black Panther Party |
Political party | Black Panther Party |
Partner(s) | Deborah Johnson (also known as Akua Njeri) |
Relatives | Fred Hampton Jr. (son) |
Fred Hampton was a member of the Black Panther Party (BPP) in Chicago, Illinois. He was the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the BBP and the deputy chairman of the national BPP. He is mainly known for the way he died in 1969, aged 21. His apartment was raided on December 4th. In a gun battle lasting 20 minutes, Hampton was shot.[3] Mark Clark, was also killed and four other Panthers were wounded.[4] In spite of a ballistics report that showed the 14 police officers fired almost all the bullets in the raid, a grand jury failed to indict anyone.[4] Hampton’s family later filed a civil suit, eventually winning the case with a $1.8 million settlement.[3] The background and events of Hampton's death have been made into several documentary movies.