Johnny Robinson: Difference between revisions

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#REDIRECT [[Johnnie Robinson]]
:''This article is about the teenager killed in 1963. For the Ramblers' drummer, see [[Johnny Robinson (drummer)]].''
[[Image:Johnny Robinson.jpg|right|thumb|Johnny Robinson]]
'''Johnny Brown Robinson''' (sometimes called '''James Robinson''' or '''Johnnie Ray Robinson''') (born c. [[1947]]; died [[September 15]], [[1963]] in [[Birmingham]]) was a teenaged victim of a police shooting during the violent aftermath of the [[1963 church bombing|bombing]] of [[16th Street Baptist Church]] in September 1963.
 
Robinson lived with his widowed mother and two siblings at 622 [[28th Street North]]. His younger siblings had gone to live with an aunt after his father's death in a fight a few years earlier. In [[1960]] Johnny was arrested on suspicion of burglary and grand larceny, and served some time in juvenile detention. As a sixteen-year-old in [[1963]], Johnny was with a group of friends caught in the chaos which followed the Sunday-morning church bombing. According to multiple reports, a group of black youth were throwing rocks and bricks at white boys who were cruising the area in cars, waving Confederate flags, yelling racial slurs and throwing soda bottles at blacks. One car was painted with slogans such as "Negro, Go Back to Africa," and another was draped with a battle flag.
 
According to newspaper reports, [[Birmingham Police Department|Birmingham Police]] responded to a 4:00 PM call of "Negroes throwing rocks at whites" at a gas station on [[26th Street North]]. When police arrived, the boys fled from the scene by running down an alley. According to some witnesses, since discredited, the police cars were targeted by rocks as well. One police car encountered Robinson's group in the alley between [[8th Avenue North|8th]] and [[9th Avenue North]] near [[26th Street North|26th Street]]. They positioned the car to block the alley while officer [[Jack Parker]], riding in the back seat, pointed his police-issue shotgun, loaded with buckshot, out the window. At this point accounts vary.
 
According to Parker's own account, as the car blocked the alley, he fired a warning shot into the ground to disperse the crowd, accidentally striking the boy. Other officers testified that they had yelled for the boys to halt and Parker had fired into the air; or that the shot was accidentally fired when the driver hit the brakes, or a bump in the road. Later police accounts argued that Parker had fired in self defense while the car was being pelted by rocks. Witnesses told FBI investigators that Parker took aim at the fleeing boys, and that there were two blasts fired without any verbal warnings.
 
In any event, Coroner [[J. O. Butler]] determined that Robinson was struck in the back with buckshot, causing him to die before he arrived at [[University Hospital]]. The shooting investigation was sent to a Jefferson County Grand Jury, but no indictment was made. A Federal Grand Jury, given the case in [[1964]], also declined to indict.
 
[[Abraham Woods]] officiated at Robinson's funeral service. He attributed the tragedy to Birmingham's "long, despicable record of police brutality," and concluded that, "not only are we here for the funeral of Johnnie Robinson, but I think we can say we are here for the funeral of Birmingham."
 
Johnny's mother spent some time in a psychiatric hospital following the shooting. His siblings returned to school the next day and never learned the details of the case until after November [[2009]], when the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] reopened an investigation into Robinson's death. Agent [[Dana Gillis]] reviewed the case history and interviewed surviving family members. Gillis did conclude that Robinson was murdered. Because Parker died in [[1977]], however, no criminal charges would be filed.
 
==References==
* Beiman, Irving (September 16, 1963) "[http://bplonline.cdmhost.com/u?/p4017coll2,520 The day a church became a tomb]" {{BN}} - via Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections
* "Council asks for all facts on two deaths." (September 16, 1963) {{BN}}
* "[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WS9gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eG8NAAAAIBAJ&pg=7185%2C2852696 Police Brutality in Birmingham Charged: Negro Minister Speaks at Funeral]" (September 23, 1963). Associated Press
* Gordon, Robert (September 25, 1963) "[http://www.useekufind.com/peace/a_1963_church_bombing.htm#boys Birmingham pays homage to slain teen-age boys]." ''Birmingham World''
* Gordon, Robert K. (November 24, 2009) "FBI opens 3 civil rights cold cases." {{BN}}
* Johnson Carrie (September 15, 2010) "[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129856740 Johnny's Death: The Untold Tragedy In Birmingham]" Morning Edition. National Public Radio
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Johnny}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:1963 deaths]]
[[Category:Civil rights figures]]
[[Category:Murder victims]]

Revision as of 13:58, 1 September 2013

This article is about the teenager killed in 1963. For the Ramblers' drummer, see Johnny Robinson (drummer).
Johnny Robinson

Johnny Brown Robinson (sometimes called James Robinson or Johnnie Ray Robinson) (born c. 1947; died September 15, 1963 in Birmingham) was a teenaged victim of a police shooting during the violent aftermath of the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in September 1963.

Robinson lived with his widowed mother and two siblings at 622 28th Street North. His younger siblings had gone to live with an aunt after his father's death in a fight a few years earlier. In 1960 Johnny was arrested on suspicion of burglary and grand larceny, and served some time in juvenile detention. As a sixteen-year-old in 1963, Johnny was with a group of friends caught in the chaos which followed the Sunday-morning church bombing. According to multiple reports, a group of black youth were throwing rocks and bricks at white boys who were cruising the area in cars, waving Confederate flags, yelling racial slurs and throwing soda bottles at blacks. One car was painted with slogans such as "Negro, Go Back to Africa," and another was draped with a battle flag.

According to newspaper reports, Birmingham Police responded to a 4:00 PM call of "Negroes throwing rocks at whites" at a gas station on 26th Street North. When police arrived, the boys fled from the scene by running down an alley. According to some witnesses, since discredited, the police cars were targeted by rocks as well. One police car encountered Robinson's group in the alley between 8th and 9th Avenue North near 26th Street. They positioned the car to block the alley while officer Jack Parker, riding in the back seat, pointed his police-issue shotgun, loaded with buckshot, out the window. At this point accounts vary.

According to Parker's own account, as the car blocked the alley, he fired a warning shot into the ground to disperse the crowd, accidentally striking the boy. Other officers testified that they had yelled for the boys to halt and Parker had fired into the air; or that the shot was accidentally fired when the driver hit the brakes, or a bump in the road. Later police accounts argued that Parker had fired in self defense while the car was being pelted by rocks. Witnesses told FBI investigators that Parker took aim at the fleeing boys, and that there were two blasts fired without any verbal warnings.

In any event, Coroner J. O. Butler determined that Robinson was struck in the back with buckshot, causing him to die before he arrived at University Hospital. The shooting investigation was sent to a Jefferson County Grand Jury, but no indictment was made. A Federal Grand Jury, given the case in 1964, also declined to indict.

Abraham Woods officiated at Robinson's funeral service. He attributed the tragedy to Birmingham's "long, despicable record of police brutality," and concluded that, "not only are we here for the funeral of Johnnie Robinson, but I think we can say we are here for the funeral of Birmingham."

Johnny's mother spent some time in a psychiatric hospital following the shooting. His siblings returned to school the next day and never learned the details of the case until after November 2009, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation reopened an investigation into Robinson's death. Agent Dana Gillis reviewed the case history and interviewed surviving family members. Gillis did conclude that Robinson was murdered. Because Parker died in 1977, however, no criminal charges would be filed.

References

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