African American Detectives Work The Zebra Case

About This Item

KPIX News report from April 23rd 1974 by Mike Lee featuring SFPD's new initiative for reaching out to the African American community and ask for help with identifying potential suspects in the Zebra murders case. Includes scenes from a press conference in which an officer emphasizes that this outreach work is not intended as a substitute for their recent stop and question tactics but hopes it: "May ease the pressure that's being brought on the community." This is in reference to SFPD's tactic of stopping and questioning African American men and then issuing them with I.D. cards, to confirm they've been questioned about the Zebra case. Also includes views of two African American detectives Willie Johnson and Herman Clark driving around the Fillmore District, going into a neighborhood bar, being interviewed by Lee and speaking to a young man on the street. Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks.

Type of material
local newsfilm
Duration
2:24
16mm b&w magentic sound film
Rights for this video belong to
CBS5 KPIX-TV
Date aired
4/23/1974
Originally aired on
KPIX-TV
Identifier
KPIX 117280-1
Views
4674

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Comments

Over a year ago, Carolyn Overton wrote…

There is a closeup photo of Inspector Herman Clark talking to a TV reporter, and when you click on the "play" arrow it takes you immediately to a press conference that is begin given by Inspector Rotea Gilford who was one of the lead detectives on the Zebra killings.  He is only identifed as "an officer", but in fact it was his idea to gather the 30 some odd black detectives together to send out into the community to see if they could get black witnesses to reveal more information.  This was on April 23, 1974, and the suspects were all apprehended and arrested on May 1, 1974.  This was the first time that all of those officers met together to form a plan.  Rotea Gilford was later appointed by George Moscone to be the Executive Director of the Mayor's Criminal Justice Council, and Dianne Feinstein appointed him Deputy Mayor in 1983.  

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