Bashir Hameed (formerly known as James York) was born and raised in New Jersey. In 1968, he joined the Black Panther Party while residing in Oakland, California. Once he returned to New Jersey, he became Deputy Chairman of the New Jersey Chapter of the BPP. FBI documents obtained during the 1970s reveal that, during this time, Bashir became a COINTELPRO target. He was charged and convicted of the murder and the attempted murder of two police officers in April 1981. This conviction came as a direct result of his political activity. Bashir Hameed and his co-defendant, Abdul Majid, were tried three times. Their first trial ended in a hung jury divided along racial lines. The second trial was declared a mistrial by the judge immediately after the jury rendered a decision that acquitted Bashir on the murder charge. At a third trial, they were eventually convicted for murder. Bashir is currently service a sentence of 25 years to life and is presently being held in the Great Meadow Prison (Box 51, Comstock, NY 12821).
