Edmund Perry
Encyclopedia
Edmund Perry was a 17-year-old Harlem
resident who was shot to death by a plainclothes policeman on June 12, 1985. The case briefly generated a firestorm of protest in New York City
when it was revealed that Perry was an honor student and was enrolled to attend Stanford on a scholarship; however, witnesses claimed that Perry and his brother had attempted to mug the officer, and the shooting was ruled justifiable.
on the night of June 12, 1985, when he was assaulted by two men who attempted to mug him. According to Van Houten, he was approached from behind and yanked to the ground by his neck, where two black men beat him and demanded that he give them money. He drew his gun from his ankle holster and fired three times, hitting Edmund Perry in the abdomen. The other attacker fled, and was later identified by witnesses as Jonah Perry, Edmund's brother.
in Exeter
, New Hampshire
, one of the most prestigious preparatory school
s in the United States. The revelation of this fact led to significant press coverage, much of it unfavorable to the police. The front page headline of the New York Post
the next day was "COP KILLS HARLEM HONOR STUDENT". The Village Voice suggested that Perry was shot because he was "too black for his own good", and the New York Times wrote that "...the death of Edmund Perry raises painfully troubling questions".
However, 23 witnesses backed up Van Houten's version of events, and the media firestorm was short-lived. Van Houten was cleared of any culpability in the shooting. Jonah Perry, an alumnus of the Westminster School in Simsbury CT, was later put on trial for assaulting Van Houten. He was found not guilty.
Perry's experiences at Exeter and the circumstances surrounding his death formed the basis of the best-selling 1987 book Best Intentions: The Education and Killing of Edmund Perry, written by Robert Sam Anson.
On January 6, 1992, NBC
aired the TV movie Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story, directed by Kevin Hooks
. Perry was portrayed by Curtis McClarin.
Michael Jackson
's song "Bad" was inspired by Perry, as was a first-season episode of Law & Order
, entitled "Poison Ivy"
.
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
resident who was shot to death by a plainclothes policeman on June 12, 1985. The case briefly generated a firestorm of protest in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
when it was revealed that Perry was an honor student and was enrolled to attend Stanford on a scholarship; however, witnesses claimed that Perry and his brother had attempted to mug the officer, and the shooting was ruled justifiable.
The incident
Lee Van Houten, a 24-year-old plainclothes policeman, was on assignment in the Morningside Park section of ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
on the night of June 12, 1985, when he was assaulted by two men who attempted to mug him. According to Van Houten, he was approached from behind and yanked to the ground by his neck, where two black men beat him and demanded that he give them money. He drew his gun from his ankle holster and fired three times, hitting Edmund Perry in the abdomen. The other attacker fled, and was later identified by witnesses as Jonah Perry, Edmund's brother.
Reaction
At the time of his death, Perry was a recent graduate of Phillips Exeter AcademyPhillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
in Exeter
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, one of the most prestigious preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
s in the United States. The revelation of this fact led to significant press coverage, much of it unfavorable to the police. The front page headline of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
the next day was "COP KILLS HARLEM HONOR STUDENT". The Village Voice suggested that Perry was shot because he was "too black for his own good", and the New York Times wrote that "...the death of Edmund Perry raises painfully troubling questions".
However, 23 witnesses backed up Van Houten's version of events, and the media firestorm was short-lived. Van Houten was cleared of any culpability in the shooting. Jonah Perry, an alumnus of the Westminster School in Simsbury CT, was later put on trial for assaulting Van Houten. He was found not guilty.
Perry's experiences at Exeter and the circumstances surrounding his death formed the basis of the best-selling 1987 book Best Intentions: The Education and Killing of Edmund Perry, written by Robert Sam Anson.
On January 6, 1992, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
aired the TV movie Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story, directed by Kevin Hooks
Kevin Hooks
Kevin Hooks is an American actor, and a television and film director; he is notable from his roles in Aaron Loves Angela and Sounder, but may be best known as Morris Thorpe from TV's The White Shadow....
. Perry was portrayed by Curtis McClarin.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's song "Bad" was inspired by Perry, as was a first-season episode of Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, entitled "Poison Ivy"
Poison Ivy (Law & Order episode)
"Poison Ivy" is the eighth episode of NBC's legal drama Law & Order. It originally aired on November 20, 1990.-Plot:A routine drug arrest turns deadly when a veteran officer kills an Ivy League honors student. Greevey and Logan trace a gun back to its original owner, who provides new evidence...
.