“Whenever a man commits a crime, God finds a witness. Every
secret crime has its reporter." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Most people don’t know this yet, and some never will, but April 22, 2010 was a watershed moment
in American history.
That day, blogger Abdur
Rahman Muhammad revealed that William Bradley, the long sought-after shotgun
assassin of Malcolm X, could be seen in documentary footage filmed outside of
the Audubon Ballroom moments after the black revolutionary died on February 21, 1965.
The video has since been removed.
Its removal was odd, given that it has been online
practically since the birth of Youtube, and at other online sites before that.
All of sudden it is linked to the assassination of a major American political figure
and someone cries “copyright infringement.”
It was not; the
less-than-two-minute video clip qualifies under the “fair use” exception to the
U.S. Copyright Act.
In fact, you can still find the footage here, though it is
of lesser quality.
I had reviewed this and
other documentary footage any number of times over the past 30 years, but it
never dawned on me that it was of such immense value in identifying the actual
assassins of Malcolm X. Once Muhammad made the connection, I captured in excess
of 300 frames to study them.
When I sent a copy to
New York artist and Malcolm X
researcher Omar Shabazz, he and I agreed that what it revealed was as important
as the footage captured in Dallas
by Abraham Zapruder on November 22,
1963.
We began calling
it the “Black Zapruder” film.
The Zapruder film
shows the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, but doesn’t show the
assassins. The Black Zapruder film doesn’t show the assassination of Malcolm X,
but it shows the assassins.
The Zapruder film
has been analyzed for more than half a century by scholars, forensics experts,
and congressional panels. No one until now has ever published or discussed what’s
shown in the footage from the Audubon on February 21, 1965.
The Zapruder film
is in color; the Black Zapruder film is in black and white.
The result of our collaboration
is a 47-minute documentary, released on February 21 in commemoration of the assassination,
titled “The Black Zapruder Film: They Killed Malcolm X.”
This film will dispel once and for all the lie
that Norman Butler was framed by law enforcement. Any forensic anthropologist
will easily confirm that the footage shows Norman Butler and William Bradley at
the scene of their heinous crime.
We may never know
the names of the assassins who shot John F. Kennedy or Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. or Robert F. Kennedy. But as of this day, we know for certain, beyond a
reasonable doubt and indeed, beyond any doubt, who shot Malcolm X.
Black Zapruder Panels
More than 150
frames appear below in three color-coded sections. The first section, Blue,
shows the fight between angry Malcolm X supporters – the ones who actually
captured Thomas Hagan after the assassination – and police who arrived moments
afterwards. More specifically, they show an incredibly brazen attempt by
William Bradley, a Newark Nation of Islam member and the shotgun assassin, to
free Hagan from the grips of both the police and Malcolm X supporters.
The second
section, Red, comes from a badly damaged roll. It’s vital, however, because it
helps explain why NYPD Sergeant Alvin Aronoff is yelling as he looks in the
direction of the second video camera. The second camera filmed Bradley as he
walked directly in front of it.
The third and
final section, Brown, are frames from a roll of film in which Norman 3X Butler,
a lieutenant from the Nation of Islam’s Mosque Number 7 in Harlem, is seen craning
his neck to witness his “kill” as Malcolm X’s body is wheeled from the Audubon
Ballroom to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital across the street. Butler
has denied involvement for 49 years, 20 of them spent behind bars upon his 1966
conviction as a conspirator in the assassination.
This footage
proves beyond any doubt that Butler
has been lying for 49 years, and that Hagan has been lying as well.
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PANEL 1
1-2. A Malcolm X supporter (red circle) spots the wounded assassin
Thomas Hagan on the ground surrounded by policemen at the entrance to the Audubon
Ballroom moments after the assassination and tries to attack him.
3. Hagan’s head (green circle) is visible in a sea of policemen.
4-6. William Bradley, the man whose shotgun ended Malcolm X’s life, runs toward policemen holding Thomas Hagan. He has a newspaper in his left coat pocket (yellow circle). Incredibly, he intends to extricate him.
PANEL 2
7. Police hold Hagan by his arms and waist while Malcolm X
supporters grab him by his legs.
8 – 10. As police attempt to take Hagan to an ambulance for transport to Columbia Presbyterian hospital across the street, Bradley grabs an officer by his overcoat and attempts to push him away from Hagan.
11-12. Bradley finally makes contact with Hagan.
PANEL 3
13 - 14. With Bradley’s assistance, Hagan manages to break
through the barrier of policemen, but they quickly close the gap.
15. As Bradley continues to fight policemen in order to free his coconspirator, an OAAU member grabs a wooden folding chair (brown box) and heads toward Hagan.
16 - 18. Bradley (yellow shapes), who is 6-feet tall and weighs more than 200 pounds, yanks a police office by the shoulder of his coat, pulling him downward. Two OAAU members, one armed with a folding chair, move in closer to Hagan.
PANEL 4
19-21: Blue lines illustrate how Bradley’s forceful grip on
the police officer opens a gap nearly wide enough for Hagan to potentially
escape.
22-24. Sergeant Alvin Aronoff finally realizes that Bradley is attacking police officers and moves in to stop him.
PANEL 5
25. Bradley grabs Hagan by his arm (green lines) as Aronoff
moves toward him.
25-27. Chaos ensues as Bradley, police and Malcolm X supporters fight over control of Thomas Hagan. Aronoff grabs Bradley by his shoulders.
28 – 29. The film suffered damage at this point and frames were removed.
30: Bradley finally gets into the thick of the struggle. Angry Malcolm X supporters cling to Hagan’s legs while Bradley pulls him by his arms.
PANEL 6
31-35. These frames offer the clearest view of Bradley’s
profile. They provide the clearest evidence that he was at the Audubon Ballroom
on February 21, 1965.
Bradley has remained
silent about allegations around his involvement, but his wife has denied that
he was an assassin. These images
corroborate eyewitness descriptions of the shotgun assassin.
33 – 36. Sgt. Aronoff
and other officers struggle to subdue Bradley. Malcolm X supporters keep a
tight grip on Hagan’s legs. Hagan grabs a police officer by the back of his legs
in an attempt to either make the officer fall or to prevent himself from
falling.
PANEL 7
37-40. Sgt. Aronoff falls backward as Bradley uses brute
force against him.
41-42: Bradley stares into the camera, realizing for the
first time that his actions are being recorded. The OAAU member with the
folding chair moves in to strike Hagan should the opportunity present itself.
PANEL 8
44 – 48. Bradley notices that a Malcolm X loyalist (in
purple box) has given chase. The man is only inches away from Bradley when
Bradley shoves Aronoff.
PANEL 9
49-54. Bradley knocks Aronoff out of the way and makes his
escape. He is carrying a piece of Hagan’s clothing (brown circle). A police
officer restrains the only person attempting to subdue Bradley. Even though Bradley
assaults several officers, including Aronoff, the officers make no attempt to
subdue him.
PANEL 10
55. The last full frame on Film Roll One showing Bradley.
56-60. The officer continues to restrain the Malcolm X
supporter as Bradley walks away from the scene, realizing that he has no chance
to free Hagan.
59 – 60. Hagan maintains his grip on the police officer’s
legs.
PANEL 11
61. Aronoff fires one shot into the air while staring in
Bradley’s direction and standing directly over Hagan.
63 – 66. Aronoff yells at Bradley as Bradley hovers in the
background.
66. Aronoff continues
to yell at Bradley, who finally gives up and starts to walk away from the
scene.
PANEL 12
67. Startled by the warning shot, Malcolm X supporters
release their grip on Hagan.
68 – 71. Aronoff appears incensed by the way Bradley
assaulted him. A fellow officer grabs him by his left arm and tries to calm
him.
72. Aronoff regains his composure as Bradley walks off.
PANEL 13
73 - 77. Aronoff cools off and returns to assisting fellow
officers surrounding Hagan, who is lying at curbside. Hagan complains of being
unable to walk.
78. Aronoff puts away his gun away and turns his
attention back to Hagan.
PANEL 14
79-84. Hagan grabs his thigh as police try to get him to
stand up.
Detectives and policemen hold back Malcolm X supporters,
most of whom are keeping an eagle eye on Hagan.
PANEL 15
85-90. Police lift up Hagan and take him to the ambulance.
The crowd watches from the entrance to the ballroom.
THE SECOND ROLL
PANEL 1b
A. The footage from the second camera is even more damaged
than the first. However, you can still see the newspaper in Bradley’s coat
pocket (red circle) and you can see his beard (brown box). Numerous
eyewitnesses described the shotgun assassin as a tall, bearded, dark-skinned
man wearing a dark grey or black overcoat.
C – F. Hagan reaches
out for Bradley to grab his left hand. Bradley muscles his way through the
crowd to get to him.
PANEL 2b
G. By combining frames from Camera 1 and Camera 2, one gets
a clearer understanding of Aronoff’s actions. Aronoff looks at Bradley, who pulls
off Hagan’s jacket or other article of clothing during the struggle to free
him. Bradley tucks the clothing under his overcoat.
J. Aronoff seems to be staring directly at the camera.
L. In fact, Aronoff is watching Bradley as he walks directly
in front of the camera. The buttons on Bradley coat (brown box) and the
newspaper in his pocket are highlighted for the viewer due to the poor quality
of the frames. Bradley walks away.
THE THIRD ROLL - NORMAN BUTLER
PANEL 1c
1- 2. Norman Butler suddenly appears (his fingers are
circled) as Malcolm X’s body (red circle) is wheeled across the street to Columbia
Presbyterian Hospital.
You can observe a dark jacket or shirt underneath his coat (brown box).
Eyewitnesses described the second shooter as a dark-skinned man wearing a dark
brown jacket underneath a tweed coat.
3. Note the dark clothing underneath the tweed coat.
4 – 6. Butler
stands out like a zebra due to his tweed coat and black fedora, which he wears
at a 45-degree angle.
PANEL 2c
7 – 9. OAAU member Richard Young (yellow circle) guides a
stretcher carrying Malcolm X’s body to Columbia
Presbyterian Hospital,
across the street from the Audubon Ballroom. Butler
moves in to get a closer look.
10 – l2. Butler
(brown box), who is obscured by a photographer standing over him, leans in for
one final view of his victim.
PANEL 3c
13-15. Notice that Butler
wears the same type of coat as the man in the footage. Also note that Butler
wears his hat at the same 45-degree angle as the man in the footage.
16-17. Norman Butler at the police station. Numerous
eyewitnesses, including Sharon Poole Shabazz, positively identify Butler
as the second assassin with a handgun. Shabazz and Butler
were both once members of Muhammad’s Temple
of Islam in Harlem
(also known as Temple Number Seven), which gives her even more credibility.
Norman Butler is
booked on February 26, 1965
for the murder of Malcolm X. He is found guilty 13 months later.
CONCLUSION: Thomas Hagan and William Bradley crossed from New Jersey to New York and killed Malcolm X on February 21, making the assassination a federal crime. There is no statute of limitations for homicide on either the state or federal level, making Bradley eligible for indictment.
The Department of Justice, headed by Eric Holder, an African American, claims that there is no federal law under which any of the assassins can be tried. Clearly, that is a lie. If a black attorney general serving under a black president has no interest in pursuing justice, there is really no advantage to having them in office.
