Lawyers for Sundiata Acoli who was born Clark Edward Squire, have moved to have the former Black Panther party member released from prison after he has served decades in prison. Acoli’s legal team says that last year, Acoli got COVID-19, which caused him to be hospitalized causing dramatic weight loss. Citing he suffers from hearing loss and early-stage dementia. Since his 1974 conviction, Acoli has been denied parole eight times, according to the Washington Post.

“You can have someone elderly who may still be dangerous in some rare cases, but that is not this man. I mean, he has not had a single problem of any kind in prison for 25 years,” said Acoli’s attorney, Bruce Afran, according to the news outlet. “Frankly, the reason they’re denying him parole is because a state trooper was killed. I can think of no other reason for this treatment.”

Trooper Werner Foerster was killed during a shootout during a traffic stop in 1973. Acoli was in the car along with Assata Shakur and Zayd Malik Shakur. Trooper James Harper, who initial stopped the vehicle for a taillight, called for backup. Foerster would come to the scene who found an ammunition magazine for an automatic pistol on Acoli, according to the police report.

A gun fight between the three people in the car and the officers resulted in two deaths and multiple injuries. The Post reported Foerster was shot four times — twice in the head by his own service weapon and Harper was wounded. Assata Shakur and Acoli were later arrested and Zayd Shakur was found dead.

Acoli and the surviving Shakur were both convicted of the murder of Foerster in separate trials. According to the news outlet, Shakur claimed she was shot and wounded with her hands up and was unable to fire the fatal shots. Acoli said he too was shot and blacked-out with zero memory of the night’s events.

In 1974, Acoli was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Acoli entered prison at 36 and is now 84-years-old as he pleas for his freedom to the New Jersey Supreme Court. Afran said each time he is denied, the reasoning is the same: “he hasn’t done enough psychological counseling; he doesn’t fully admit to his crime, or he hasn’t adequately apologized for it,” according to the Post.

Tony Ciavolella, a board spokesman, says, “Denials of his parole were decided upon impartially, fairly, and . . . in accordance with statutory and administrative regulations,” according to the outlet. In 2014, a state appellate panel ruled he should be released, however, the state Attorney General’s office contested. The case was sent back to the board, and again, denied. Acoli  is now appealing that decision.

“Sundiata’s case is a glaring example of the need for parole reform in New Jersey and throughout the United States,”  Joseph J. Russo, Deputy Public Defender in the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender’s Appellate Section told the newspaper.

Read more:

Louisiana Prep School Founders Allegedly Falsified College Applications, Doctored Transcripts and Fostered a ‘culture of fear with physical and emotional abuse’ 

Chicago officer captured on video striking a teen

Oklahoma announcer calls high school girls’ basketball team racial slur while players kneel during national anthem