FBI Director Kash Patel Slams Assata Shakur Mourners
FBI Director Kash Patel is speaking out after a wave of public tributes for Assata Shakur, the activist and former member of the Black Liberation Army who has been living in exile in Cuba for decades.
Shakur, whose real name is Joanne Chesimard, was convicted in 1977 for the killing of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster during a shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973. She escaped prison in 1979 and later fled to Cuba, where she was granted asylum. The U.S. government has listed her on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list for years, offering a $2 million reward for her capture.
In recent weeks, some groups and supporters have held events and online memorials honoring Shakur, calling her a symbol of resistance against racial injustice. Patel strongly condemned those actions, saying they dishonor law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line.
“Every time someone celebrates Assata Shakur, they’re spitting on the badge of every officer who has sworn to protect this country,” Patel said during a press briefing. “Trooper Foerster’s family has lived with this loss for over 50 years. To glorify his killer is a disgrace.”
The FBI director also reminded the public that Shakur remains a fugitive wanted in the U.S. “She is not a hero. She is a convicted murderer who fled justice,” Patel added.
Civil rights activists, however, argue that Shakur was targeted during a time of government surveillance of Black activists and that her trial was unfair. This ongoing divide reflects a long-standing debate in America over how figures like Shakur are remembered.
Patel said the FBI will continue efforts to bring her back to the U.S., but for now, he asked Americans to honor fallen officers rather than “those who tried to tear them down.”
