[News] Statement from Kevin Cooper

[News at freedomarchives.org]

Here is a statement from Kevin Cooper since he won a stay of execution.
Kevin mailed the statement to Campaign member Crystal Bybee. Crystal was
asked by Kevin to be one of the witnesses at his execution, along with
fellow CEDPers Rebecca Downer and Elizabeth Terzakis (my previous circular
unfortunately left off Rebecca, who has been working on Kevin's case from
the beginning, sorry for that error).


Ritual of Death
By Kevin Cooper

On Monday, February 9th, 2004 shortly after 6:15 p.m., Rev. Jessie Jackson
said a prayer for me and my visitors inside the visiting room here at San
Quentin Prison. Then he and my personal pastor and friends were told to
leave, which they did.
     I was then escorted to the rear of the visiting area and taken to a
hallway which contained holding cells. I was then placed in the holding
cell, where I had the handcuffs removed, and was then told to get undressed,
which I did. I was strip-searched and given a brand new set of prison-issued
clothing and told to put them on.
     I was handcuffed after I got dressed and was removed from that cell,
where I was handed over to another squad of officers. I was surrounded by
about six officers and escorted to the death chamber waiting room. When I
was in the visiting room, the prison officials told me that the Ninth
Circuit Court of Appeals had granted me a stay of execution, but until they
heard from the United States Supreme Court about whether or not my stay
would stay in place, this prison was going to proceed as if I had no stay in
place.
     When I arrived outside the death chamber waiting room door, it was
opened, and I was told to go inside, which I did. I was then told to place
my back on the wall while being surrounded by a new squad of officers. These
were the officers of the execution squad. There were about eight of them.
The leader of the squad got real close to me and asked me if there was going
to be any trouble when they took the handcuffs off of me? I looked him in
his eyes and told him "no," and he removed the handcuffs.
     I was again told to take off all my clothes, which I did, and I was
again strip-searched. This time, they used a flashlight to light up both my
mouth and butt as they searched me! This room that I was now in was very,
very cold; the temperature had to be in the lower 50s. I stood barefoot on
that cold floor surrounded by those officers while my body was completely
searched. Then I was given another new set of clothing, only these were the
ones that I was to be executed in.
     I was then placed in another cell, only this new one was half the size
as a regular cell. It had only a toilet, a mattress and pillow in it. I
stood there in the cold, waiting for my pastor to come pray with me, and for
me. All the time not knowing what the United States Supreme Court was going
to do.
     About a half hour later, my pastor arrived, and she was placed in a cell
next to mine.  It was to my right-hand side, but on an angle, and it was
hard to see her through the cell bars, but I managed. I was asked once
again, did I want a last meal. I said no. I was asked, did I want water. I
said no. The warden came in and asked me, did I have a final statement. I
said no. My arms were once again checked so they could make sure that they
could find my veins, and officers were passing by with armfuls of alcohol
pads/swabs and other assorted items for my murder, and their execution!
     My pastor did a great job in keeping me focused, and somewhere in the
middle of one of her scriptures, the phone rang. It was my attorney calling
to let me know she was with me in spirit, and as soon as she heard something
from the U.S. Supreme Court, she would call and let me know.
     I entered the death chamber waiting room around 6:35 p.m., and around
8:15 p.m., the phone rang again, and it was once again my attorney. She told
me that she heard from the court and that they refused to hear the state's
petition. They denied the state and upheld my stay!!!
     Even before I told my pastor the news, I told those officers that I
meant them no disrespect in what I was about to say to them, but they
weren't going to do their job tonight! I then told my pastor, and her and I
prayed! I came within three hours and 45 minutes of being murdered by the
state of California.
     I am now recovering from the manmade ritual of death that I had to
experience. I will never be the same again! I am only getting stronger and
more determined to do my part in shutting down the U.S. government's pride
and joy: 'Their capital punishment system!'

In Struggle
 From Death Row,
Kevin Cooper



The Freedom Archives
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San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
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