This is the statement/affidavit of Mumia Abu-Jamal that was released yesterday, May 5, 2001.  This is the first version being circulating.  During file conversion over internet email a few characters or words may have been lost.  A cleaner version will be out soon.
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DECLARATION OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL

I, MUMIA ABU-JAMAL, declare:

I. I am the Petitioner in this action. If called as a witness I could and would testify to the following from my own personal knowledge:

2. I did not shoot Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. I had nothing to do with the killing of Officer Faulkner. I am innocent.

3. At my trial I was denied the right to defend myself I had no confidence in ‘my court-appointed attorney, who never even asked me what happened the night I was shot and the police officer was killed; and I was excluded from at least half the trial.

4. Since I was denied all my rights at my trial I did not testify. I would not be used to make it look like I had a fair trial. 

5. I did not testify in the post-conviction proceedings in 1995 on the advice of my attorney, Leonard Weinglass, who specifically told me not to testify.

6. Now for the first time I have been given an opportunity to tell what happened to me in the early morning hours of December 9, 1981. This is what happened:

7. As a cabbie I often chose 13th and Locust Street because it was a popular club area with a lot of foot traffic.

8. I worked out of United Cab on the night of 12/9/81.

9. I believe I had recently returned from dropping off a fare in West Philly.

10. I was filling out my log when I heard some shouting.

11. I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw a flashing dome light of a police cruiser. This wasn’t unusual.

12. I continued to fill out my log/trip sheet when I heard what sounded like gun shots.

13. I looked again into my rear view mirror and saw people running up and down Locust.

14. As I scanned I recognized my brother standing in the street staggering and dizzy.

15. I immediately exited the cab and ran to his scream.

16. As I came across the street I saw a uniformed cop turn toward me gun in hand, saw a flash and went down to my knees.

17. I closed my eyes and sat still trying to breathe.

18. The next thing that I remember I felt myself being kicked, hit and being brought out of a stupor.

19. When I opened my eyes, I saw cops all around me.

20. They were hollering and cursing, grabbing and pulling on me. I felt faint finding it hard to breathe.

21.  As I looked through this cop crowd all around me, I saw my brother, blood running down his neck and a cop lying on his back on the pavement.

22. I was pulled to my feet and then rammed into a telephone pole, beaten where I fell and thrown into a paddy wagon.

23. I think I slept until I heard the door open and a white cop in a white shirt came in cursing and hit me in the forehead.

24. I don’t remember what he said much except a lot of "niggers”, “black mother-fuckers” and what not.

24.  I believe he left and I slept -- I don’t remember the wagon moving for a while and when it did for sometime.

25. I awoke to hear the driver speaking over the radio about his prisoner.

26. I was informed by the anonymous crackle on the radio that I was en route to the police administration building a few blocks away.

27. Then, it sounded like “I.D.’d as M-l came on the radio band telling the driver to go to Jefferson Hospital.

28. Upon arrival I was thrown from the wagon to the ground and beaten.

29. I was beaten again at the doors of Jefferson.

30. Because of the blood in my lungs it was difficult to speak, and impossible to holler.

31. I never confessed to anything because I had nothing to confess to.

32. I never said I shot the policeman. I did not shoot the policeman.

33. 1 never said I hoped he died. I would never say something like that.

The above statement is true and correct and was executed by me on ~ 2001, at Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.

Case No 99 Civ 5089 (‘101-IN) Petitioner, ) ) ) ) MARTIN HORN, Commissioner, ) Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, ) and CONNOR BLAINE, Superintendent of ) Defendants.

MUMIA ABU-JAMAL

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
 The State Correctional Institution at Greene)