Declaration of Mumia Abu-Jamal

3 May 2001

The declaration below is reprinted from the July 2006 Partisan Defense Committee pamphlet, The Fight to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal—Mumia Is Innocent!

I, MUMIA ABU-JAMAL, declare:

1. I am the Petitioner in this action. If called as a witness I could and would testify to the following from my own personal knowledge:

2. I did not shoot Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. I had nothing to do with the killing of Officer Faulkner. I am innocent.

3. At my trial I was denied the right to defend myself, I had no confidence in my court-appointed attorney, who never even asked me what happened the night I was shot and the police officer was killed, and I was excluded from at least half the trial.

4. Since I was denied all my rights at my trial I did not testify. I would not be used to make it look like I had a fair trial.

5. I did not testify in the post-conviction proceedings in 1995 on the advice of my attorney, Leonard Weinglass, who specifically told me not to testify.

6. Now for the first time I have been given an opportunity to tell what happened to me in the early morning hours of December 9, 1981. This is what happened:

7. As a cabbie I often chose 13th and Locust Street because it was a popular club area with a lot of foot traffic.

8. I worked out of United Cab on the night of 12/9/81.

9. I believe I had recently returned from dropping off a fare in West Philly.

10. I was filling out my log when I heard some shouting.

11. I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw a flashing dome light of a police cruiser. This wasn’t unusual.

12. I continued to fill out my log/trip sheet when I heard what sounded like gun shots.

13. I looked again into my rear view mirror and saw people running up and down Locust.

14. As I scanned I recognized my brother standing in the street staggering and dizzy.

15. I immediately exited the cab and ran to his scream.

16. As I came across the street I saw a uniformed cop turn toward me gun in hand, saw a flash and went down to my knees.

17. I closed my eyes and sat still trying to breath.

18. The next thing that I remember I felt myself being kicked, hit and being brought out of a stupor.

19. When I opened my eyes, I saw cops all around me.

20. They were hollering and cursing, grabbing and pulling on me. I felt faint finding it hard to talk.

21. As I looked through this cop crowd all around me, I saw my brother, blood running down his neck and a cop lying on his back on the pavement.

22. I was pulled to my feet and then rammed into a telephone pole beaten where I fell and thrown into a paddy wagon.

23. I think I slept until I heard the door open and a white cop in a white shirt came in cursing and hit me in the forehead.

24. I don’t remember what he said much except a lot of “n-----s”, “black motherfuckers” and what not.

24. I believe he left and I slept. I don’t remember the wagon moving for a while and when it did for sometime.

25. I awoke to hear the driver speaking over the radio about his prisoner.

26. I was informed by the anonymous crackle on the radio that I was en route to the police administration building a few blocks away.

27. Then, it sounded like “I.D.’d as M-1” came on the radio band telling the driver to go to Jefferson Hospital.

28. Upon arrival I was thrown from the wagon to the ground and beaten.

29. I was beaten again at the doors of Jefferson.

30. Because of the blood in my lungs it was difficult to speak, and impossible to holler.

31. I never confessed to anything because I had nothing to confess to.

32. I never said I shot the policeman. I did not shoot the policeman.

33. I never said I hoped he died. I would never say something like that.

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the above is true and correct and was executed by me on 3 May, 2001, at Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.

(signed)
MUMIA ABU-JAMAL