Abdul Majid (black nationalist)
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Abdul Majid, also known as Anthony LaBorde, was a member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. Majid was convicted of the murder of New York City police officer John Scarangella, and the attempted murder of Scarangella's partner, Officer Richard Rainey. Officer Scarangella was murdered on 16 April 1981, after he and his partner pulled over a van carrying Majid and Bashir Hameed. Majid and his co-defendant were both convicted, and Majid was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
Majid is currently incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility in Beekman, New York.
Some leftist political activists have claimed that Majid is a political prisoner.
During Majid's imprisonment, he was beaten by prison guards, and was awarded $15,000 in compensation. In 2006, Vivian Scarangella, widow of Officer John Scarangella, initiated a lawsuit against Majid to block him from receiving the $15,000 award, a challenge brought under New York State's Son of Sam Law, which prevents a convicted murder from profiting off of his crime.
