Defend Damien Williams

Los Angeles-A number of community people and activists from the L.A. 4+ Defense Committee, including Georgiana Williams, the mother of Damien Williams, called a press conference in front of the 77th Street police station on July 23. They warned of the virtual lynching of Damien Williams by the police and the L.A. media.

Damien Williams is one of four Black men alleged to have participated in the beating of white truck driver Reginald Denny during the 1992 Los Angeles rebellion. For two days this July the local media repeatedly replayed helicopter shots of Florence and Normandie from April 29, 1992 while alleging, wrongly, that Damien Williams had been arrested on murder charges.

The reporters at the press conference were informed that Damien had been charged only with a parole violation, which was itself trumped up. Protesters then went into the police station and demanded to know why key witnesses who had vouched for Damien's innocence were not being interviewed. The detectives on the case were hostile and evasive for the most part.

After the meeting, one long-time activist, Molly Bell, scolded reporters for representing all Black and Brown men as crack addicts and all homes in South Central as drug houses. She pleaded with them to check the facts before making their reports. The day after the press conference the LOS ANGELES TIMES did run a story written by Ed Boyer, a reporter who has a history of careful and more responsible reporting.

On July 20 Damien Williams was visiting friends in the home of a family who had lived down the street from him a number of years ago. A man came through the front door with a gun, and Damien asked, "What is going on here?" The man pointed the gun at Damien's forehead. Damien knocked the gun out of his hand and ran from the house. He was not in the house when another man was shot. When the police came, the family mentioned that Damien had been there, but the sister of the murdered man told everyone that Damien did not shoot anyone. The LAPD issued a warrant for Damien's arrest on violation of his parole. Police claim that he was in a "known drug house."

Since his parole in 1997, Damien has been continuously harassed by the police. He was picked up a week after his release for talking to a young man police claimed was a "known gang member." At the parole hearing two young men who lived in Damien's old neighborhood testified that 77th Street police had told them, "We know Damien is getting out, and we will violate him." Damien spent 45 days in jail before the hearing officer released him. Los Angeles-A number of community people and activists from the L.A. 4+ Defense Committee, including Georgiana Williams, the mother of Damien Williams, called a press conference in front of the 77th Street police station on July 23. They warned of the virtual lynching of Damien Williams by the police and the L.A. media.

Damien Williams is one of four Black men alleged to have participated in the beating of white truck driver Reginald Denny during the 1992 Los Angeles rebellion. For two days this July the local media repeatedly replayed helicopter shots of Florence and Normandie from April 29, 1992 while alleging, wrongly, that Damien Williams had been arrested on murder charges.

The reporters at the press conference were informed that Damien had been charged only with a parole violation, which was itself trumped up. Protesters then went into the police station and demanded to know why key witnesses who had vouched for Damien's innocence were not being interviewed. The detectives on the case were hostile and evasive for the most part.

After the meeting, one long-time activist, Molly Bell, scolded reporters for representing all Black and Brown men as crack addicts and all homes in South Central as drug houses. She pleaded with them to check the facts before making their reports. The day after the press conference the LOS ANGELES TIMES did run a story written by Ed Boyer, a reporter who has a history of careful and more responsible reporting.

The reporters at the press conference were informed that Damien had been charged only with a parole violation, which was itself trumped up. Protesters then went into the police station and demanded to know why key witnesses who had vouched for Damien's innocence were not being interviewed. The detectives on the case were hostile and evasive for the most part.

After the meeting, one long-time activist, Molly Bell, scolded reporters for representing all Black and Brown men as crack addicts and all homes in South Central as drug houses. She pleaded with them to check the facts before making their reports. The day after the press conference the LOS ANGELES TIMES did run a story written by Ed Boyer, a reporter who has a history of careful and more responsible reporting.

On July 20 Damien Williams was visiting friends in the home of a family who had lived down the street from him a number of years ago. A man came through the front door with a gun, and Damien asked, "What is going on here?" The man pointed the gun at Damien's forehead. Damien knocked the gun out of his hand and ran from the house. He was not in the house when another man was shot. When the police came, the family mentioned that Damien had been there, but the sister of the murdered man told everyone that Damien did not shoot anyone. The LAPD issued a warrant for Damien's arrest on violation of his parole. Police claim that he was in a "known drug house."

Since his parole in 1997, Damien has been continuously harassed by the police. He was picked up a week after his release for talking to a young man police claimed was a "known gang member." At the parole hearing two young men who lived in Damien's old neighborhood testified that 77th Street police had told them, "We know Damien is getting out, and we will violate him." Damien spent 45 days in jail before the hearing officer released him.

Since that time Damien has been stopped six times within the 77th Street jurisdiction. Each time he has been searched, his car has been searched, and he has been berated and then released. No traffic citation was ever issued. All of this is done to harass Damien, as the police do all the time in South Central. If you are Black or Latino or young, you will be harassed. Two people on a corner is a gang. When will they stop? The next rebellion will not end so easily. -Judy Tristan Since that time Damien has been stopped six times within the 77th Street jurisdiction. Each time he has been searched, his car has been searched, and he has been berated and then released. No traffic citation was ever issued. All of this is done to harass Damien, as the police do all the time in South Central. If you are Black or Latino or young, you will be harassed. Two people on a corner is a gang. When will they stop? The next rebellion will not end so easily. -Judy Tristan Since that time Damien has been stopped six times within the 77th Street jurisdiction. Each time he has been searched, his car has been searched, and he has been berated and then released. No traffic citation was ever issued. All of this is done to harass Damien, as the police do all the time in South Central. If you are Black or Latino or young, you will be harassed. Two people on a corner is a gang. When will they stop? The next rebellion will not end so easily.

-Judy Tristan