Kash Patel Slammed Assata Shakur Tributes as Disrespectful to Fallen Police

Patel Condemns Public Praise for Shakur After Her Death in Cuba

Kash Patel criticized on-line tributes to Assata Shakur following her loss of life in Havana final week, calling the reward an insult to regulation enforcement and the reminiscence of slain New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster.

“Joanne Chesimard didn’t ‘fight for justice.’ She murdered New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in cold blood then fled to Cuba to escape accountability. The FBI never stopped calling her what she was: a terrorist,” Patel wrote on X. “Mourning her is spitting on the badge and the blood of every cop who gave their life in service.”

Patel, 45, a former federal prosecutor and Trump administration official, presently serves as FBI Director below former President Donald Trump.

Shakur’s History and Criminal Conviction

Shakur, born Joanne Chesimard, was a member of the Black Liberation Army and the godmother of Tupac Shakur. She was convicted in 1973 of killing Foerster throughout a site visitors cease on the New Jersey Turnpike. After escaping jail in 1979, she fled to Cuba, the place Fidel Castro granted her asylum in 1984.

The FBI later positioned Shakur on its “Most Wanted Terrorists” checklist, providing a $1 million reward for info resulting in her seize. She remained in Cuba till her loss of life in April 2024 at an undisclosed age.

Tributes From Political and Educational Groups

Despite her felony document, a number of progressive organizations honored Shakur’s legacy after her passing. The Democratic Socialists of America posted, “Rest in Power, Assata Shakur. The American state brutally oppressed Assata and her Black Panther Party Comrades. The Cubans welcomed her and other Black Revolutionaries with asylum, and their solidarity and loyalty allowed Assata to live out her days in Havana.”

The Chicago Teachers Union additionally shared a tribute, writing, “Today we honor the life and legacy of a revolutionary fighter, a fierce writer, a revered elder of Black liberation, and a leader of freedom whose spirit continues to live in our struggle.”

Political Leaders Push Back

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, joined Patel in condemning the tributes. “She was convicted of the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster, who was executed in cold blood,” Murphy posted on X. “There are so many worthy heroes to celebrate. She is not one of them.”

Shakur’s affiliation with the Black Liberation Army—a militant offshoot of the Black Panther Party—related her to a gaggle concerned in armed robberies, police shootings and bombings within the Nineteen Seventies.

Shakur’s Defense of Her Actions

In her 1987 autobiography, Shakur claimed she was wrongfully focused and mentioned she was punished for political views and actions she seen as justified.

Shakur died in Havana in late April 2024, closing a decades-long chapter of one of the vital polarizing figures in American political and felony historical past.

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