Book Review : Blue Rage, Black Redemption

Stanley “Tookie” Williams was the co-founder in 1971 of the Los Angeles crip gang. In 1981 he was convicted of murdering four people during two robberies and sentenced to death row at San Quentin State prison. His Trial was based on circumstantial evidence and the testimony of several witnesses, all of whom were facing a range of felony charges, including fraud, rape, murder and mutilation.
On February 28, 1979, Stanley Williams murdered Albert Lewis Owens during a robbery of a 7- eleven convenience store in Whittier, California. One evening Tookie and two of his friends planned on committing a crime in Pomona but stopped at a 7-eleven on their way. There they met Albert Owens who was an employee down at the store. Owens watched these men closely as if he knew they were up to something. As one of Tookie’s friends approached the cash register Tookie walked behind Owens and told him to shut up and keep walking. Tookie then pulled out a gun and fired at the suspect. After Tookie murdered Owens, him and his two friends fled away and returned home to Los Angeles. The robbery netted them approximately $120.
Tookie Williams was also convicted of killing three other victims. As I read this book I discovered that he didn’t commit these three murders. One evening Tookie and a close friend by the name of Samuel Coleman were on their way to meet up with a guy named Bob Simmons. The two men never made it to their destination because they were pulled over by the cops, who immediately ordered Tookie and Samuel out of the car. They then threw the two men against the car and handcuffed them, the cops took the two guys to the city jail where they were booked and fingerprinted. It was the first time Samuel ever been to jail. He was followed by eight police officers into his cell that began to attack him and beat him senseless. After retrieving his conscious Samuel was then taken into a room by the cops who accused him of committing a murder. Still in pain and being that he has never been to jail before Samuel lied and told the cops that Tookie committed the murders. He was threatened to receive a lot of jail time and beatings if he didn’t testify and say everything the cops wanted him to say. This incident is what leads to the Death Row sentence of Tookie Williams.