According to Jamal’s supporters, just one prosecution witness, Cynthia White, claimed to see Jamal actually holding a gun. Jamal’s supporters contend that Cynthia White is easily written off as a witness who was coerced by police into giving her testimony against Jamal. Therefore, they argue it’s not possible to say beyond a reasonable doubt that Jamal actually shot Officer Faulkner.

BRIEF REBUTTAL

This myth is another example of how Jamal’s supporters spit out twisted factoids to support a lie. In fact, all the eyewitnesses to Faulkner’s murder saw Jamal firing a gun. While Cynthia White was the only prosecution witness to testify that she actually saw the gun in Jamal’s hand, the other 4 eyewitnesses to the shooting each testified that they saw Jamal approach Officer Faulkner from behind, raise his arm, point at Faulkner’s back and later his head. They heard the shots and saw the muzzle flash. Unless Jamal was able to magically make explosions and flame jump from his hand, he was obviously firing a gun.

FACTS SUPPORTING OUR REBUTTAL

Michael Scanlan testified that he saw the assailant run towards Faulkner and shoot him in the back, then stand over him and shoot him again in the face.
“I saw a hand come up, like this, and I heard a gunshot. There was another gunshot when the man got to the policeman, and the gentleman he had been talking to [Cook]. And then the Officer fell down on the sidewalk and the man [Jamal] walked over and was standing at his [the officer’s] feet and shot him twice. I saw two flashes.”

N.T. 6/25/82, 8.7

Additionally, Scanlan graphically described the shot that killed the officer.

McGill: “Do you know whether or not any of those shots hit the officer?”

Scanlan: “Yes, sir. I could see that one hit the officer in the face. Because his body jerked, his whole body jerked.”

McGill: “His body jerked?”

Scanlan: “Yes, sir.”

McGill: “Where was he then, when his body jerked, after the shot?

Scanlan: “Where was the officer?”

McGill: “Yes.”

Scanlan: “He was lying on the sidewalk, face up.”
N.T. 6/25/82, 8.8

Albert Magelton testified that he saw Jamal run from across the street towards Officer Faulkner and Cook. Then, he heard several shots fired. He looked and saw Officer Faulkner on the ground. He later identified Jamal to police as the man he saw running towards Faulkner.

“About half way across the street, I had turned to proceed across the street. I heard shots and I looked over and I didn’t see the Officer there no more.”
N.T. 6/25/82, 8.77

Robert Chobert testified that he saw Jamal standing over the fallen Faulkner with his arm extended towards Faulkner’s head. He heard several gunshots.

Chobert: “No, I didn’t see the gun.”

Jackson: “Did you see the flash of the weapon?”

Chobert: “No, but I heard shots. And I saw him pointing his hand too.”

Jackson: “So you assumed the shot must have come from the man who had his hand out?”

Chobert: “Because there were only two guys there [Jamal and Cook].”
N.T. 6/19/82, 229-230

Robert Harkins, who testified as a defense witness, testified in the 1995 PCRA hearing that, from a distance of roughly 30 feet, he saw Jamal stand over Faulkner as he lay on the ground. He then saw several flashes emanating from Jamal’s hand towards Faulkner. Harkins then saw Jamal attempt to flee, only to fall to the ground a few feet from his victim’s body.

Harkins: “He [the shooter] leaned over and two, two or three flashes from the gun. But then he walked, sat down on the curb.”
N.T. 8/2/95, 209)

CONCLUSION

Again we find Jamal’s supporters distorting the record in a transparent attempt to cast doubt on his guilt. The testimony leaves no room for any doubt whatsoever that Jamal was firing a gun. The gun he used remained on the scene, inches from his hand, after he sat down on the curb. He even tried to pick it up and use again against the next officers to arrive on the scene. Further, the gun was actually registered to Jamal. It is undisputed that he owned it. Jamal’s 5 shot revolver contained 5 spent shells from unique +P ammunition that matched the +P bullet removed from Officer Faulkner’s brain. When all of the evidence, and not just a tiny part taken out of context, is considered, the record clearly reveals not only that Jamal had a gun in his hand, but that he deliberately shot Officer Faulkner to death with it in full view of 5 eyewitnesses.