Panther Page #15

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Pursued, a thin Black man -- DENZIL DOWELL -- LIMPS painfully

past. TWO COPS, guns drawn, run after him.

COP #1

Hands up, you ain't going nowhere.

Faced with a BLIND ALLEY, Dowell RAISES his hands. The cops

close in.

DENZIL:

I wasn't going nowhere in the first

place. I ain't done sh*t.

COP #2

"Done sh*t, SIR!!" N*gger don't

move...

Scared, Denzil instinctively BACKS AWAY from the cops.

DENZIL:

I ain't done...

GUNFIRE rips through the alley.

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - DOWELL HOME - DAY

The room is filled with mourners. Shades are drawn but a

little sun brushes the PANTHERS LEATHER JACKETS. Denzil's

brother GEORGE, speaks softly to MOMMA DOWELL.

GEORGE:

Momma, these here are the Panthers I

asked over from Oakland.

MOMMA DOWELL:

I thank you all for coming to grieve

with us. The police won't tell us

nothing.

MOURNER:

They been shooting Black men down

around here like they're going out

of style.

MOMMA DOWELL:

(breaking into tears)

My boy didn't do nothing. He didn't

do nothing. Can't nobody do something.

HUEY:

We came to do something.

EXT. RICHMOND RALLY - DAY

Panthers, carrying GUNS, line both sides of the block. NEW

FACES can be seen with Judge, Alma, Cy, Tyrone, Little Bobby

and the others.

A block or so distant, the SHERIFF'S OFFICE looms up.

EXT. RICHMOND RALLY - DAY

BOBBY SEALE shuttles back and forth distributing PROGRAMS

and LEAFLETS to a forest of outstretched Black hands.

HUEY stands on top of a car, his strong voice ringing out

over the gathering.

HUEY:

...The police report says he was

shot three times but the coroner's

report says quite clearly that Denzil

Dowell was shot six times. And two

of those shots were in his armpits.

Brothers and Sisters you know why

that is?

(raises his arms up)

Because Denzil had his hands up!!

BOBBY SEALE:

(to crowd)

No more police brutality! WHAT DO WE

WANT?

THE CROWD:

JUSTICE!

Frenzied hands grab all the PAMPHLETS from Bobby.

SEALE:

(to Judge)

More programs man!!! In the car.

Judge moves away toward the PONTIAC.

EXT. BOBBY'S CAR - DAY

Judge grabs a pile of LEAFLETS off the seat. Turning back to

the rally, Judge comes nose to nose with BRIMMER.

BRIMMER:

Afternoon a**hole... You shoulda

told me about this. C'mon...

EXT. RALLY - DAY

Tyrone SEES Brimmer spin Judge around and cuff him.

BOBBY SEALE:

WHAT DO WE WANT?

THE PANTHERS:

JUSTICE!!!

Tyrone NUDGES Huey, gesturing to Judge being led to Brimmer's

UNMARKED CAR.

TYRONE:

C'mon let's...

HUEY:

No! Just harassment. Can't let it

stop this.

(an eye to car, then

the crowd)

Brother we got momentum!

Whipped up, the crowd YELLS as Tyrone looks perplexed.

BOBBY:

What do we want!!??

THE CROWD:

JUSTICE!

REVEREND SLOCUM steps out, trying to calm the crowd.

REVEREND SLOCUM:

Amen! The Lord God Almighty be our

witness. Let us bow our heads and

pray for...

BOBBY:

(interrupting, raising

his fist)

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

CROWD:

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

The Panthers move into precise FORMATION. Huey and Bobby at

the front, the crowd moves toward the Sheriff's Office.

EXT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE - DAY

Tense, a DOUBLE LINE of police blocks the entrance. With the

crowd screaming for "JUSTICE!" and "BLACK POWER!" behind

them, Bobby and Huey step up to the Deputies.

DEPUTY:

(shoving Huey)

You're not getting in here with no

gun.

Huey SHOVES the cop back. The line of cops BRISTLES.

HUEY:

This firearm is being carried in

plain view and is therefore perfectly

legal according to California

statute...

COP:

Over my dead body.

Huey steps back and Clack!, jerks a ROUND into the gun. A

HUSH falls over the crowd. The POLICE raise their weapons.

HUEY:

That's your call pig.

Rev. Slocum puts a steadying hand on Huey's arm.

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