Denzil Dowell

[2] According to the media and police, at about 5 a.m. on April 1, 1967, two sheriff's deputies responded to a telephone call that a burglary was in progress at a liquor store in North Richmond, CA.

Upon arrival at the location, one deputy spotted two suspects and ordered them to halt.

The ruling was made unanimously by a jury of 10 white and two black citizens after 30 minutes of deliberation.

[3] The Black Panther Party (BPP) noted multiple inconsistencies with the case, notably:[4] The event led to a street rally organized by the Black Panther Party for Self Defense.

It also provided the content for the first edition of the BPP newspaper, The Black Panther, which was published in April 1967 with a headline about the killing of Denzil Dowell.