Militant guilty in 1969 case
A former Black Panther Party member who spent years living under an assumed name in Canada pleaded guilty Friday to shooting a Chicago police officer in 1969.
Joseph Pannell, 58, pleaded guilty to an aggravated battery charge in the shooting of then-Chicago Police Officer Terrence Knox. Pannell, who was a 19-year-old member of the militant group at the time, shot Knox three times in the right arm.
Pannell was sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years’ probation. He also agreed to give $250,000 to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, a fund for the families of injured or fallen officers. Money for the donation came from Pannell supporters in Toronto and defense attorneys in the Chicago area, according to his attorneys.
Pannell will be released March 7, a month after he returned to Chicago and 39 years to the day after he shot Knox.
Knox, who is no longer with the department, said his family came up with the idea of the donation. He told reporters Friday that he’s not bothered by Pannell’s sentence.
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