Federal authorities are set to offer a $1 million reward for information leading to the capture of the Black Liberation Army's Joanne Chesimard aka Assata Shakur.
Shakur, the aunt of the late great Tupac, was convicted of the 1973 murder of Trooper Werner Foerster of Old Bridge, New Jersey. She fled to Cuba, where she presently lives, after escaping from the state prison for women in Hunterdon County in 1979. The boosted reward is set to be announced in a press conference today. In addition to the boost, FBI has put Shakur on its list of domestic terrorists. New Jersey upped the reward for Shakur from $25,000 to $100,000 under the Whitman administration. The FBI then added $50,000.
"Our hope is that she has less friends at $1 million," a source said.
Today marks the 32nd anniversary of the fatal gunfight where Foerster was shot dead on the New Jersey Turnpike in East Brunswick. The incident took place close to the Route 18's bridge. On Thursday, the state renamed the location Werner Foerster Overpass in honor of the deceased trooper.
State Attorney General Peter C. Harvey recently called Shakur and the other members of the Black Liberation Army "domestic terrorists" during the revealing of the overpass sign. According to Colonel Joseph "Rick" Fuentes, superintendent of the state police, the division is taking the necessary measures to try Shakur outside of the U.S. Those measures to capture her include sealing off any safe havens outside of Cuba.
Furthermore, Lieutenant Juan Matos spoke with police chiefs from the Caribbean, Central and South America and Europe at a conference on Shakur's chase." By blanketing law-enforcement authorities like that, the moment someone cracks the door, we're there," Fuentes said Thursday.
Reports say that the fatal encounter between New Jersey Police and the Black Liberation Army began around 12:45 a.m. on May 2, 1973 when, then 29-year-old, Trooper James Harper stopped a southbound car with Vermont license plates. Shakur, who was on the FBI's Most Wanted list at the time, was aboard the vehicle. Foerster later arrived on the scene as backup. While Harper was checking the car identification number, Foerster discovered a loaded .380-caliber ammunition clip on a man in the vehicle. Shots rang out and Foerster was hit in the upper torso and in the head with his own gun.
Clark Edward Squire, who is now known as Sundiata Acoli, was also found guilty of Foerster's murder. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 24 to 30 years. He is presently still incarcerated.
Shakur, the aunt of the late great Tupac, was convicted of the 1973 murder of Trooper Werner Foerster of Old Bridge, New Jersey. She fled to Cuba, where she presently lives, after escaping from the state prison for women in Hunterdon County in 1979. The boosted reward is set to be announced in a press conference today. In addition to the boost, FBI has put Shakur on its list of domestic terrorists. New Jersey upped the reward for Shakur from $25,000 to $100,000 under the Whitman administration. The FBI then added $50,000.
"Our hope is that she has less friends at $1 million," a source said.
Today marks the 32nd anniversary of the fatal gunfight where Foerster was shot dead on the New Jersey Turnpike in East Brunswick. The incident took place close to the Route 18's bridge. On Thursday, the state renamed the location Werner Foerster Overpass in honor of the deceased trooper.
State Attorney General Peter C. Harvey recently called Shakur and the other members of the Black Liberation Army "domestic terrorists" during the revealing of the overpass sign. According to Colonel Joseph "Rick" Fuentes, superintendent of the state police, the division is taking the necessary measures to try Shakur outside of the U.S. Those measures to capture her include sealing off any safe havens outside of Cuba.
Furthermore, Lieutenant Juan Matos spoke with police chiefs from the Caribbean, Central and South America and Europe at a conference on Shakur's chase." By blanketing law-enforcement authorities like that, the moment someone cracks the door, we're there," Fuentes said Thursday.
Reports say that the fatal encounter between New Jersey Police and the Black Liberation Army began around 12:45 a.m. on May 2, 1973 when, then 29-year-old, Trooper James Harper stopped a southbound car with Vermont license plates. Shakur, who was on the FBI's Most Wanted list at the time, was aboard the vehicle. Foerster later arrived on the scene as backup. While Harper was checking the car identification number, Foerster discovered a loaded .380-caliber ammunition clip on a man in the vehicle. Shots rang out and Foerster was hit in the upper torso and in the head with his own gun.
Clark Edward Squire, who is now known as Sundiata Acoli, was also found guilty of Foerster's murder. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 24 to 30 years. He is presently still incarcerated.
