IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1120 

Condemning Joanne Chesimard and those who celebrate her and her actions, 

and honoring the law enforcement members killed by her and groups 

she was connected to. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 9, 2024 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning Joanne Chesimard and those who celebrate her 

and her actions, and honoring the law enforcement members killed by her and groups she was connected to. 

Whereas Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, is 

a convicted murderer and member of the Black Liberation Army, a violent guerilla group whose tactics were inspired by movements abroad; 

Whereas Chesimard was involved in numerous assaults and 

robberies through her leadership in the Black Liberation 

Army, including bank robberies in Queens, Brooklyn, and 

the Bronx, hand grenade attacks against New York Police Department (‘‘NYPD’’) officers, and an armed robVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:58 Apr 10, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1120.IH HR1120

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•HRES 1120 IH 

bery at Our Lady of the Presentation Church in Brownsville; 

Whereas Chesimard has been connected to numerous murders 

of NYPD officers, including being a leader of a Black 

Liberation Army cell that carried out execution-style 

murders of officers between 1971 and 1972; 

Whereas, on May 2, 1973, Chesimard murdered New Jersey 

State Trooper Werner Foerster by shooting him twice 

with his own weapon, and injured another trooper; 

Whereas, on March 26, 1977, Chesimard was found guilty on 

8 counts, including 2 for murder and 6 for assault and 

related charges, and sentenced to life imprisonment; 

Whereas, on November 2, 1979, Chesimard escaped from 

prison with the assistance of members of the Black Liberation Army and May 19th Communist Organization; 

Whereas Chesimard continued assaults on law enforcement 

after her escape from prison, as she was suspected to be 

in a van in 1981 that opened fire on a patrol car, killing 

1 NYPD officer and wounding another; 

Whereas Joanne Chesimard remains on the FBI’s Most 

Wanted list after seeking refuge in Cuba, where it is believed she is still hiding; 

Whereas, on September 14, 1998, the House of Representatives passed H. Con. Res. 254 (105th), ‘‘Calling on the 

Government of Cuba to extradite to the United States 

convicted felon Joanne Chesimard and all other individuals who have fled the United States to avoid prosecution 

or confinement for criminal offenses and who are currently living freely in Cuba’’, by a vote of 371–0; 

Whereas, on October 21, 1998, the Senate passed H. Con. 

Res. 254 (105th) by unanimous consent; 


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Whereas, on September 29, 1998, the then-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus stated that she inadvertently 

voted yes, and actually opposed H. Con. Res. 254 

(105th) because she believed that Chesimard and other 

members of the Black Liberation Movement were targeted for prosecution based on their political beliefs, despite the fact that Chesimard was convicted on 8 counts, 

including first-degree murder; and 

Whereas people and groups in positions of power, have celebrated Chesimard’s life, referred to Chesimard as an individual to be honored, and treated her as a role model 

that children should emulate: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns the actions of Joanne Chesimard, 

3 also known as Assata Shakur, for her heinous 

4 crimes, including the murder of New Jersey State 

5 Trooper Werner Foerster and her connection to 

6 countless other injuries and deaths of members of 

7 law enforcement; 

8 (2) honors the life and heroic actions of law en9 forcement members whose deaths were connected to 

10 Joanne Chesimard, including: 

11 (A) NYPD Patrolman Joseph Piagentini, 

12 32nd Precinct (5/21/1971); 

13 (B) NYPD Patrolman Waverly Jones, 

14 32nd Precinct (5/21/1971); 

15 (C) NYPD Patrolman Gregory Foster, 9th 

16 Precinct (1/28/1972); 


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1 (D) NYPD Patrolman Rocco Laurie, 9th 

2 Precinct (1/28/1972); 

3 (E) New Jersey State Trooper Werner 

4 Foerster (5/2/1973); and 

5 (F) NYPD Officer John Scarangella, 

6 113th Precinct (5/1/1981); 

7 (3) rejects any celebration of Chesimard and 

8 condemns those who honor her or her actions; and 

9 (4) calls on the Government of Cuba to imme10 diately extradite convicted felon Joanne Chesimard, 

11 who has fled the United States to avoid prosecution 

12 and confinement for criminal offenses and is cur13 rently living freely in Cuba, receiving funding from 

14 the Cuban Government and proceeds from the sale 

15 of her autobiography. 

Æ 


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