The Panther 21 Trial

Two nights after the shootings on riverside drive, two officers stepped from their squad car and walked into colonial park to answer a call about a woman hurt in a knife fight. As they did, they passed two young black men lounging on the fender of a park car. One bullet severed his optic nerve. The patrol car veered to its left and smashed into a stone staircase beneath the statue of civil war general franz siegel. Officer benetti was struck eight times in the neck, stomach and arms. Once more, banetti managed to palm the car radio. 26, boy charley. He murmured, we've been shot. We've been shooting.