[Ppnews] Omaha Two story: (Part 25) - Ed Poindexter testifies in own defense

Political Prisoner News ppnews at freedomarchives.org
Tue Apr 12 11:20:11 EDT 2011


<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/ed-poindexter-denied-any-role-murder-of-policeman-omaha-two-trial>http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/ed-poindexter-denied-any-role-murder-of-policeman-omaha-two-trial


Ed Poindexter denied any role in murder of policeman in Omaha Two trial

    * By 
<http://www.examiner.com/user-richardsonreports>Michael 
Richardson, COINTELPRO Examiner
    * April 12th, 2011 9:50 am ET

Omaha Two story: April 12, 1971

Public Defender Frank Morrison called 
<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/prison-interview-with-ed-poindexter-on-cointelpro-and-the-omaha-police>Edward 
Poindexter to the witness stand in his own 
defense Monday, in the third week of his capital 
murder trial.  Poindexter denied 
<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/witnesses-put-duane-peak-at-scene-of-1970-bombing-omaha-two-case>Duane 
Peak’s story linking him and 
<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/prison-interview-with-mondo-we-langa-on-cointelpro-and-omaha-two-case>Mondo 
we Langa, then David Rice, to the death of 
Patrolman 
<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/larry-minard-was-the-policeman-betrayed-by-j-edgar-hoover-to-frame-the-omaha-tw>Larry 
D. Minard, Sr.

Poindexter appeared confident and said he never 
showed Peak how to make a dynamite bomb in a 
suitcase.  Poindexter also denied instructing 
Peak about how to lure police into an ambush trap 
in the vacant house on Ohio Street where Minard lost his life.

Poindexter identified himself as a graduate of 
North High School.  He said he served in the Army 
in West Germany as a volunteer and later in 
Vietnam, receiving an honorable discharge.

Ed Poindexter testified he joined the Omaha 
chapter of the Black Panther party in 1969.  When 
the national organization disbanded the Omaha 
chapter later that year, Poindexter said he 
joined an affiliate group, the 
<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/j-edgar-hoover-informed-of-united-front-against-fascism-omaha>United 
Front Against Fascism, and later the successor 
group, the National Committee to Combat Fascism.

Poindexter testified in a clear and steady voice, 
Poindexter told the jury that he had been 
“unjustly accused of a crime that I had nothing to do with.”

Poindexter testified that he never talked with 
Duane Peak about “how to kill a pig” and never 
knew officer Larry Minard, Sr. nor did he have any reason to kill him.

Morrison asked Poindexter about a camouflage 
jacket which prosecution witnesses said they took 
from him at the time of his arrest, Poindexter 
said he did not know how traces of ammonia dynamite got into the pocket.

The jacket was acquired in Vietnam, Poindexter 
testified.  He said his only contact with 
dynamite was helping “transport” some dynamite in 
Vietnam but had no closer contact than that.

When Morrison asked about his beliefs, Poindexter 
said he was opposed “to any form of discrimination.”

Poindexter said it was his opinion that “police 
are tools of the power structure
to subjugate the people.”

Prosecutor Arthur O’Leary asked Poindexter on 
cross-examination if he knew what the expression 
“off the pig” meant.  “It means defend yourself 
from them,” Poindexter testified.

O’Leary asked Poindexter to examine six issues of 
the NCCF newsletters which were introduced 
earlier into evidence.  Poindexter said he wrote 
several articles in some of the newsletters.

Poindexter said he had no particular knowledge of 
some of the other content not written by 
himself.  There was no direct testimony about the 
articles in question and it would be up to the 
jury to figure out the significance in the jury room.

Poindexter testified he served as leader of the 
UFAF and the NCCF and was Deputy Chairman.

Poindexter testified he visited Mondo’s home on 
various occasions but did not go there the night 
of August 10, 1970, as Duane Peak had testified, 
when the bombing was allegedly planned and a bomb was assembled.

Poindexter also denied being at Frank Peak’s 
house on several  occasions with Duane Peak, as 
Duane had testified.  Frank Peak testified as a 
defense witness against his cousin, Duane Peak, 
regarding the alleged rendezvous confirming 
Poindexter’s version of events.  Frank said Duane 
and Poindexter were not at Frank‘s home together.

Ed Poindexter said he was at Mondo’s the evening 
of August 12, 1970, as Peak had testified, but 
Poindexter said that Peak was not present.

Poindexter was asked about a run-in with police 
that evening near Mondo’s house. Poindexter 
confirmed the encounter.  He said he wrote a 
report for the NCCF on what happened, adding that 
Peak might have seen a copy of the report.

The 15 year-old Peak was eager to join the group 
and had older relatives in the NCCF although he 
was banned from the headquarters by Ed Poindexter 
because he had shot at a bird inside the building with a pistol.

Poindexter denied that he was at a North Side 
American Legion club the night of August 
14.1970.  Duane Peak had testified that 
Poindexter had been there that night and had told 
him to proceed with a plan to kill a policeman with a bomb.

There was no testimony about 
<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/j-edgar-hoover-directs-cointelpro-plot-against-omaha-chapter-of-black-panthers>COINTELPRO 
or the fact Ed Poindexter was the target of an 
illegal Federal Bureau of Investigation operation 
to “destroy” the leadership of the Black 
Panthers.  No one on the defense team knew of the 
existence of the clandestine program and the FBI 
agents who carried out the dirty work never testified.

To view all of the Omaha Two story articles click 
<http://www.examiner.com/omaha-two-story-in-national>HERE

Permission granted to reprint

Michael Richardson
COINTELPRO Examiner
Examiner.com



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