Jack Parker

Jack Parker (born c. 1915; died 1977) was an officer of the Birmingham Police Department and head of the Fraternal Order of Police Birmingham Lodge No. 1. He shot teenager Johnny Robinson in the back on September 15, 1963 during an outbreak of violent tensions following the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church.

Parker, a member of the Department since 1951, was brought before local and federal grand juries for Robinson's death, but no indictments were returned. That Fall, Parker was one of several police officials who co-signed a newspaper advertisement opposing the proposed integration of the Department.

Parker resigned from the department in 1973. He died from lung cancer in 1977.

An FBI investigation re-launched in 2009 concluded that Robinson was murdered, but Parker's death made criminal prosecution impossible.

References

• Paepcke, Jon (October 7, 2013) "13 Investigates: Breaking the silence" alabamas13.com - accessed October 8, 2013