calsfoundation@cals.org
April 6, 1968
Jefferson County native Bobby Hutton was in a carload of Black Panther Party members who were confronted by Oakland police officers; two officers were shot. Later, Eldridge Cleaver and Hutton, in an incident connected to the earlier shooting, engaged in a ninety-minute shootout with police officers. It was reported that Hutton was shot more than twelve times after he had already surrendered and stripped down to his underwear to prove he was not armed. However, police reports stated that Hutton was wearing a long overcoat and that his hands could not be seen when he exited the building. The death of Hutton was a major event in the Black Panther Party’s history, becoming the rallying cry for the movement.