Montgomery in Montgomery County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Bernard Whitehurst and the Whitehurst Case / Montgomery: Learning From the Past

Bernard Whitehurst and the Whitehurst Case marker (side 1) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 25, 2013

1. Bernard Whitehurst and the Whitehurst Case marker (side 1)

Inscription.

Bernard Whitehurst and the Whitehurst Case, also, Montgomery: Learning From the Past. . Bernard Whitehurst and the Whitehurst Case. On December 2, 1975, Bernard Whitehurst was shot to death by a police officer in Montgomery, Alabama. He died behind a house on Holcombe Street, running from police officers who mistakenly believed he was the suspect in a robbery of a neighborhood grocery store., The facts were slow to emerge in this shooting of a black man by a white police officer. But investigations urged by the Whitehurst family, the city’s daily newspaper, and the local district attorney revealed the following of that tragic event: that Whitehurst, 32, did not match the robbery suspect’s description; that he was unarmed, despite police claims that they returned fire after being fired upon; that the gun found by his body had been confiscated by police in a drug investigation a year earlier, and was placed at the scene as a part of a police cover-up., The shooting that cost Bernard Whitehurst his life ultimately led to the resignation of the city’s mayor and public safety director, the resignation or termination of eight police officers, and the perjury indictment of three police officers. These events, known collectively as the Whitehurst Case, are considered pivotal in the history of the City of Montgomery., Montgomery: Learning from the Past. The Whitehurst Case has proven transformative in Montgomery and is part of the body of events and individuals that have shaped both the struggle for civil rights and the relationship between the Montgomery community and the Montgomery Police Department., Decades after Bernard Whitehurst was shot and killed by a Montgomery police officer, the Montgomery Police Department employs a case study of this fatal shooting and subsequent events to help officers learn about policing in a capital city that is both the “Cradle of the Confederacy” and the “Birthplace of Civil Rights.”, The Whitehurst Case forms a significant part of the police curriculum, “Policing in a Historic City: Civil Rights and Wrongs in Montgomery.” This case, which embodies both private grief and public tragedy, continues to teach powerful lessons to police officers seeking to understand the line between right and wrong.

Bernard Whitehurst and the Whitehurst Case On December 2, 1975, Bernard Whitehurst was shot to death by a police officer in Montgomery, Alabama. He died behind a house on Holcombe Street, running from police officers who mistakenly believed he was the suspect in a robbery of a neighborhood grocery store.

The facts were slow to emerge in this shooting of a black man by a white police officer. But investigations urged by the Whitehurst family, the city’s daily newspaper, and the local district attorney revealed the following of that tragic event: that Whitehurst, 32, did not match the robbery suspect’s description; that he was unarmed, despite police claims that they returned fire after being fired upon; that the gun found by his body had been confiscated by police in a drug investigation a year earlier, and was placed at the scene as a part of a police cover-up.

The shooting that cost Bernard Whitehurst his life ultimately led to the resignation of the city’s mayor and public safety director, the resignation or termination of eight police officers, and the perjury indictment of three police officers. These events, known collectively as the Whitehurst Case, are considered pivotal in the history of the City of Montgomery.

Montgomery: Learning from the Past The

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Whitehurst Case has proven transformative in Montgomery and is part of the body of events and individuals that have shaped both the struggle for civil rights and the relationship between the Montgomery community and the Montgomery Police Department.

Decades after Bernard Whitehurst was shot and killed by a Montgomery police officer, the Montgomery Police Department employs a case study of this fatal shooting and subsequent events to help officers learn about policing in a capital city that is both the “Cradle of the Confederacy” and the “Birthplace of Civil Rights.”

The Whitehurst Case forms a significant part of the police curriculum, “Policing in a Historic City: Civil Rights and Wrongs in Montgomery.” This case, which embodies both private grief and public tragedy, continues to teach powerful lessons to police officers seeking to understand the line between right and wrong.

Erected 2013 by the City of Montgomery.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1865.

Location. 32° 22.776′ N, 86° 18.445′ W. Marker is in Montgomery, Alabama, in Montgomery County. Marker is at the intersection of North Perry Street and Madison Avenue, on the right when traveling north on

Montgomery: Learning from the Past marker (side 2) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 25, 2013

2. Montgomery: Learning from the Past marker (side 2)

North Perry Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 103 N Perry St, Montgomery AL 36104, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Elijah Cook / City of Montgomery v. Rosa Parks (here, next to this marker); General Richard Montgomery Statue (within shouting distance of this marker); St. John's Episcopal Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Montgomery City Hall / Funeral for Hank Williams (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bill Traylor (about 500 feet away); Montgomery's Slave Depots / Montgomery's Slave Traders (about 500 feet away); Montgomery and Electricity / Hydroelectricity in the River Region (about 600 feet away); Murphy House (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montgomery.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Similar marker about 1.4 miles SSW of this marker.

Also see . . . Resolution expresses regret for Whitehurst shooting. The Montgomery City Council adopted a resolution that formally expressed regret for the shooting death of Bernard Whitehurst and voted to place this historical marker describing the incident. (Submitted on October 15, 2013, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Side 1 (looking north toward Madison Ave) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 25, 2013

3. Side 1 (looking north toward Madison Ave)

Side 2 (looking south toward Lister Hill Plaza) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 25, 2013

4. Side 2 (looking south toward Lister Hill Plaza)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 15, 2013, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,358 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 15, 2013, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.