BUTNER, N.C. — An outspoken civil rights activist and former leader in the Black Panther Party who was convicted of killing a Fulton County deputy has died. He was 82.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that Jamil Al-Amin, formerly known as H. Rap Brown, died in federal custody at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina on Sunday.
His attorneys say he went through a “prolonged period of severe medical decline.”
“On behalf of our entire family, I thank every single person who prayed, stood, marched, researched, wrote, advocated, and fought to clear my father’s name. Your love sustained us. Your belief in his innocence strengthened us,” his son, Kairi Al-Amin, wrote.
Al-Amin was serving a life sentence after being convicted of the 2000 killing of a Fulton County deputy and injuring another one.
Deputy Ricky Kinchen and Deputy Aldranon English were serving an arrest warrant on Al-Amin when both were shot. Kinchen died from his injuries, while English survived.
Throughout his sentence, Al-Amin maintained his innocence. His attorneys with the Davis Bozeman Johnson Law Firm say they were working to secure a new trial for Al-Amin.
In May 2025, attorneys say they joined the Innocence Project to file a motion for a new trial.
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