O’Neal Betrayal Of Fred Hampton Leader Of The Blackpanther

On December 4, 1969, Fred Hampton, a charismatic 21-year-old activist and leader of the Black Panther Party, was fatally targeted in an early-morning raid coordinated by the FBI and Chicago police. The raid’s success hinged on William O’Neal, an FBI informant who infiltrated the Panthers. Under pressure to avoid legal charges, O’Neal handed over a detailed layout of Hampton’s apartment, facilitating the deadly operation. Hampton was killed while asleep beside his pregnant partner, Akua Njeri, and fellow Panther Mark Clark was also slain.

FRED HAMPTON(LHS), O’NEIL THE BETRAYAL (RHS)

Hampton had quickly ascended within the Black Panther Party, joining its Illinois chapter in 1968 and becoming a prominent voice for racial equality and revolutionary progress. The Panthers, founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, embodied defiance against institutional racism and police violence, frequently adopting militant strategies to confront systemic injustice.

O’Neal, a petty criminal before his recruitment into the US police for the sole purpose of being an informant for the police on the Black panther’s activities, deeply infiltrated the organization, ultimately becoming its head of security and gaining Hampton’s trust. His betrayal resulted in catastrophic outcomes. Years later, O’Neal reflected on his role with regret, describing himself as “a pawn in a very big game.” His story concluded in tragedy when he died by suicide in 1990, forever tied to one of the civil rights era’s most poignant losses.