6 9 ▁ra id ▁and ▁death ▁▁ ▁Ham pton ▁had ▁quickly ▁ris en ▁in ▁the ▁Black ▁Pan ther ▁Party , ▁and ▁his ▁talent ▁as ▁a ▁political ▁organ izer ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁remarkable . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁ver ge ▁of ▁creating ▁a ▁mer ger ▁between ▁the ▁B PP ▁and ▁a ▁south side ▁street ▁gang ▁with ▁thousands ▁of ▁members , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁double d ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁B PP . ▁▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁Ham pton ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁California ▁and ▁met ▁with ▁the ▁National ▁B PP ▁leadership ▁at ▁U CLA . ▁They ▁offered ▁him ▁a ▁position ▁on ▁the ▁Central ▁Committee ▁as ▁the ▁chief ▁of ▁staff ▁and ▁asked ▁him ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁national ▁sp okes man ▁for ▁the ▁B PP . ▁While ▁Ham pton ▁was ▁out ▁of ▁town , ▁two ▁Chicago ▁police ▁officers , ▁John ▁J . ▁Gil ho oly ▁and ▁Frank ▁G . ▁R app ap ort , ▁were ▁fat ally ▁shot ▁in ▁a ▁gun ▁battle ▁with ▁Pan thers ▁on ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁November ▁ 1 3 ; ▁one ▁died ▁the ▁next ▁day . ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁nine ▁police ▁officers ▁were ▁shot ; ▁ 1 9 - year - old ▁Pan ther ▁Sp ur geon ▁Winter ▁Jr . ▁was ▁killed ▁by ▁police , ▁and ▁another ▁Pan ther , ▁Lawrence ▁S . ▁Bell , ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁murder . ▁In ▁an ▁unsigned ▁editor ial ▁head lined ▁" No ▁Qu arter ▁for ▁Wild ▁Be asts ", ▁the ▁Chicago