National

3 Sentenced in Racial Beatings That Led to Black Man’s Death

Published

11 years ago

February 26, 2015

Oakland Post

City Hall in Jackson. (AP Photo)

JEFF AMY, Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Three more young white men, all part of a group that repeatedly searched Mississippi’s capital city for black people to attack, have been sentenced to federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves on Wednesday sentenced 25-year-old William Kirk Montgomery to 19 ½ years for his role in the attacks in the spring of 2011 that climaxed with the death of 47-year-old auto plant worker James Craig Anderson. Two other men who were part of earlier outings but not present that night — 22-year-old Joseph Paul Dominick and 23-year-old Jonathan Kyle Gaskamp — got four-year sentences.

The three men, like the seven other defendants in the case, had pleaded guilty earlier.

Anderson’s death came on the last of a series of forays to what the group called “Jafrica” — a combination of Jackson and Africa — to assault black people. It ended in a hotel parking lot where the group spotted Anderson, who appeared to be intoxicated. Montgomery and six others were present as John Aaron Rice and Deryl Paul Dedmon beat Anderson. As Dedmon left in his truck, he ran over Anderson, inflicting fatal injuries.

The actions were captured on a hotel surveillance camera, drawing widespread national attention.

The inquiry that followed Anderson’s death revealed that the group, including Dominick and Gaskamp had repeatedly driven around, throwing beer bottles and shooting ball bearings from a slingshot. One night, Gaskamp was among those who beat an unidentified man at a golf course. Another night they tried to run someone down.

“Yes, they had done it before and no one died, and the court believes, but for the death of James Craig Anderson, they would have returned to Jafrica again and again,” said Reeves, who is black. “They would have continued their mission to harm, their mission to hurt.”

All three expressed remorse before sentencing.

“There are no right words for me to be able to say how sorry I am,” Dominick said. “There are no words to right the wrongs.”

“It was the worst mistake of my life and I can’t take it back,” Gaskamp said.

Anderson’s family members repeated their emotional condemnation of the acts that led to the death.

“I want you to understand what you took from me, what you took from my family,” said James Bradfield, Anderson’s longtime partner. “There is no sentence that is going to be good enough for you.”

Reeves urged the men to make good on their promises of redemption.

“Justice will not be complete unless these defendants — unless you — use the remainder of your lives to learn from this experience and fully commit to making a positive difference in the New Mississippi; that Mississippi which is only two years shy of celebrating its bicentennial,” Reeves said. “Prove to your family, your friends and all those who have read about this case that you were worth saving.”

Reeves sentenced Dedmon to 50 years and John Aaron Rice to 18 years on Feb. 10. That day, he also sentenced Dylan Wade Butler to seven years. Dedmon is also concurrently serving two life sentences in state prison after pleading guilty in a Mississippi court in 2012 to capital murder and hate crime.

Two men and two women face sentencing in April.

___

Follow Jeff Amy at: http://twitter.com/jeffamy

Oakland Post

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Community

Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

3 days ago

August 15, 2026

bpusa-syndication

View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

3 days ago

August 15, 2026

bpusa-syndication

George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.