Bobby Hutton,

Oakland, California
April 06, 1968

Agencies: Oakland Police Department California

Cause of death: Shooting

Follow This Case

---

Last updated: almost 6 years ago

People tracking this case: 1 -- Click here to Track this.

Overview

Bobby Hutton was born in 1950. He was only 16 years old when he joined the Black Panther Party (BPP) in December, 1966. He was arrested in May 1967 when he led a Black Panther march in Sacramento to protest against a new gun bill. The Mulford Act made it illegal to carry guns in public and was a direct response to the Panthers' police patrols in the community.

On 6th April, 1968 eight BPP members, including Hutton, Eldridge Cleaver and David Hilliard, were travelling in two cars when they were ambushed by the Oakland police. Cleaver and Hutton ran for cover and found themselves in a basement surrounded by police. The building was fired upon for over an hour. When a tear-gas canister was thrown into the basement the two men decided to surrender. Cleaver was wounded in the leg and so Hutton said he would go first. When he left the building with his hands in the air he was shot twelve times by the police and was killed instantly. Over 2,000 people attended his funeral at the Ephesians Church of God in Berkeley, California on 12th April, 1968.