“font-size: 16px; font-family: ‘Times New Roman’;”>For nearly four years the world has restlessly waited for justice to be served for the killing of Oakland Post Editor Chauncey W. Bailey.
“font-size: 12pt;”>On Thursday June 9, 2011, just 2 months shy of four years after Bailey was mercilessly gunned down as he pled for his life, in downtown Oakland August 2, 2007, while walking to work to meet with Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb, who was also walking to work from the opposite direction to meet with him, the jury released their verdict.
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“font-family: Times New Roman;”>Yusuf Bey IV, the leader of Your Black Muslim Bakery, was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder, Antoine Mackey, a follower and driver of the car used by the shooter, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder with a mistrial on the third murder charge.
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“font-family: Times New Roman;”>Devaughndre Broussard, the confessed shooter and follower of Bey IV, will receive two counts of voluntary manslaughter. Broussard, who said he pulled the trigger to kill Bailey, got a lighter verdict because he cooperated with the District Attorney to incriminate Bey IV and Mackey. For pointing the finger at them, Broussard will only serve 25 years in state prison.
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“font-family: Times New Roman;”>Chauncey Bailey was an accomplished writer, broadcaster, and documentary videographer, who had achieved acclaim for his in-depth knowledge and coverage of African American, African and Caribbean issues and communities. He had been investigating issues around the police and their connection to persons associated with Your Black Muslim Bakery.
“font-size: 12pt;”>Post Publisher Paul Cobb declined to comment on the verdict and has deferred his response to Post attorney Walter Riley. Father Jay Matthews, Bailey’s pastor, personal friend, and advisor said, “I am pleased justice has been served. But it won’t bring my friend back. My heart goes out to Chauncey’s family and to his Post family. It has been four years now and we can finally begin to feel some relief”.
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“font-family: Times New Roman;”>Bailey was a devoted member of St. Benedict parish, pastored by Matthews. Members of the Post staff, while sending their weekly edition to the printer said the guilty verdicts will not rewrite Chauncey’s tragic story, but we can make sure that his legacy and his words live on. Some members of the Post staff, who have lived in fear and apprehension since the killing observed how Bailey was killed on a Thursday, causing a rewrite of the front page to not his death and, coincidentally the verdict came down on a Thursday also, causing them to re-configure the front page to accommodate the news of the verdict