Service for Williams Is Scheduled for Tuesday

A memorial service for Stanley Tookie Williams, a co-founder of the Crips gang who was executed at San Quentin this week, will be held at a South Los Angeles church Tuesday, organizers said.

The service is scheduled for noon at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and will be officiated by Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam, said supporter Jasmyne Cannick. Other participants will include the Rev. Jesse Jackson, recording artist Snoop Dogg and NAACP President Bruce S. Gordon, she said.

Williams, 51, was convicted of murdering four people 26 years ago. He was executed by lethal injection Tuesday, hours after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger denied his clemency petition. His case drew international media attention, in part because Williams had become an anti-gang activist and had been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

He requested that his ashes be spread in South Africa. Cannick said his request would be honored.

She said the funeral was a chance for Williams to be remembered as a man who made contributions to the community.

“This is an opportunity for people who knew Mr. Williams, who were friends with Mr. Williams, who respected his work to be able to pay their final respects,” Cannick said.

A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said officers would be in the area but would not intrude on the service.

“We will monitor it like we would any other large event like this,” said Lt. Paul Vernon. “We don’t anticipate any problems.”

The church, at 7900 S. Western Ave., holds about 1,500 people, organizers said. They said they planned to show the service on screens outside for any overflow crowd.