A CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS ON 12-9-81


3:51:08 AM:

  • Officer Daniel Faulkner radios that he has just stopped a light blue Volkswagen at 13th and Locust St. He requests a police wagon and exits his patrol car, approaching the vehicle he has just stopped.

    Faulkner:
    Radio:
    Faulkner:
    Patrol Car:
    		 "I have just stopped -- ah -- 12, 13th and Locust."
    "Car to back 612, 13th and Locust."
    "On second thought, send me a wagon, 1234 Locust."
    "I'll take a ride over."

  • Several eyewitnesses see Officer Faulkner speaking to the driver of the Volkswagen, William Cook, who is also Mumia Abu-Jamal's brother. Both Cook and Faulkner have exited their vehicles and they are standing between the Volkswagen and the patrol car. Two eyewitnesses state that without provocation, Cook strikes Faulkner in the face and that Faulkner retaliates by striking Cook "no more than 3 times on the shoulder" with either a flashlight or a blackjack.

  • As Faulkner is attempting to subdue Cook, four eyewitnesses see a man wearing a hat and a blue and red-striped jacket, "with his arm in the air in a shooting position", running from the parking lot across the street from the spot where Faulkner has Cook spread eagle on the hood of his car. While Faulkner's back is turned, all four eyewitnesses see or hear shots fired at the Officer by this man. Faulkner is seen to fall to the ground. The assailant is seen by eyewitnesses to stand over the fallen, wounded and unarmed Officer Faulkner and fire a fatal shot into his face. Three eyewitnesses see the assailant attempt to flee the scene then fall "to the pavement," just several feet from Faulkner's lifeless body.


3:52:27 AM:

  • A few blocks away, Patrol Car #601 encounters eyewitness Michael Scanlan, who has sped away from the shooting looking for assistance for the fallen Officer Faulkner. Car #601 radios:

    Car 601: "Yeah, we just got information from a passer by, there's a policeman shot at, I think it sounds like it was at 12th."


3:52:36 AM:

  • Officer Robert Shoemaker and Officer James Forbes arrive on the scene and find Officer Faulkner lying dead on the sidewalk. They find Mumia Abu-Jamal, who is wearing a blue and red-striped jacket, with his gun at his side, sitting on the curb several feet away from Faulkner's body.

    Car 105:
    Radio:
    Car 105:    		 "Sam, 105, we're on location."
    "Okay, any car on location?"
    "Sam, 105, policeman shot."


3:53:13 AM:

  • Officer Daniel Faulkner is transported to Jefferson Hospital Emergency. The medical examiners report will verify that he died instantly from his head wound.

    Car 901: "Yeah, we got that policeman going to Jeff, you want to notify them?"


4:00 AM:

  • Inspector Alphonso Giordano arrives at the crime scene. In his 1982 testimony, he states that numerous police vehicles are already on the scene, there is "mass confusion", and Officers are attempting to secure the area. Witnesses are being organized, and according to Inspector Giordano, the radio is crackling with "descriptions of vehicles and potential suspects".


4:05 AM:

  • Eyewitness Robert Chobert has already spoken to officers at the scene. He is taken to the police wagon, where Jamal is in custody. Chobert briefly speaks to Inspector Giordano. Giordano states that Chobert said, "The man that shot the policeman ran away, and he was a MOVE member (with dreadlocks)." (6-1-82, T.R. 71) Another officer who hears Chobert's comments tells Giordano that there is a man in custody that has dreadlocks. Chobert is taken to the police van, where Mumia Abu-Jamal is being held. According to Giordano's testimony, Chobert immediately identifies Jamal as the killer. Giordano states, "As soon as the doors opened up and he [Chobert] saw this gentleman, he said, "That's the man. He shot the policeman." (6-1-82, T.R. 71)


4:10 AM:

  • Cynthia White arrives at the Police Administration Building (PAB). She too, has already physically identified Jamal as the killer at the crime scene.


4:15 AM:

  • Cynthia White begins giving her initial written statement to Officer Culbreth at the PAB. In her statement she says, "The man who shot Officer Faulkner ran from the parking lot, shot him, and then he fell to the curb."

  • Simultaneously, Robert Chobert arrives at the Police Administration Building to give his initial recorded statement.


4:20 AM:

  • Eyewitness Michael Scanlan arrives at the PAB.


4:25 AM:

  • Robert Chobert begins giving his initial written statement to Detective Rollie Witcher at the PAB. Chobert states, "The man who shot the police officer didn't get very far, maybe 30 or 35 steps, then he fell [to the ground]."

  • Michael Scanlan begins giving his initial statement to police at the Police Administration Building, (PAB) to Officer Margerum. In his statement, Scanlan says that the killer, "came running across the street towards the officer, pulled a pistol and started shooting at the officer as he was running towards him." Mr. Scanlan also states, "The Officer fell down. Then the killer stood over the Officer and fired three or four more shots, point blank at the Officer on the ground."

  • Simultaneously, Cynthia White is completing her statement to Officer Culbreth.


5:35 AM:

  • Eyewitness Albert Magilton begins giving his statement to Officer Culbreth at the PAB. In it he states, "I noticed a guy walking from the parking lot. I turned around and the next thing I know is, I hear some shots. I looked and saw the Officer on the ground."


5:55 AM:

  • Eyewitness Robert Harkins arrives at the PAB.


6:00 AM:

  • Eyewitness Robert Harkins gives his statement to Detective Sutton, in which he states, that the man who killed Faulkner stood over him as he lay face up on the ground, and fired several shots into his upper body. In testimony given years later as a defense witness, Harkins would echo the statements of White, Chobert and Magilton, who each said that the killer shot Faulkner, then fell to the curb.