February 22, (THEWILL) – Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of murdered black civil rights activist, Malcolm X, says she is suing New York City Police Department and other agencies for his 1965 murder.
Shabazz revealed US officials fraudulently concealed evidence that they conspired to and executed their plan to assassinate her father.
She announced the planned legal action at the site where he was fatally shot in New York, exactly 58 years ago.
According to her lawyer, the FBI and CIA were also named in the legal filing.
Shabazz was two years old when she saw her father gunned down. Three armed men shot him 21 times as he was preparing to speak at a Harlem auditorium.
“For years, our family has fought for the truth to come to light concerning his murder,” she said on Tuesday at the venue, which has since been converted into a memorial site, as she filed notices of claims, a precursor to a lawsuit.
The lawyer representing the family, Benjamin Crump, alleged that powerful figures in the American Government had conspired to kill Malcolm X.
He mentioned former FBI Director, J Edgar Hoover, throughout his remarks.
Crump said Malcolm X’s family intends to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking damages in the range of $100m (£83m).
“It’s not just about the triggerman. It’s about those who conspired with the triggerman to do this dastardly deed,” he said.
The NYPD told the BBC it would not comment on pending litigation. However, the FBI and CIA did not make their response known.
Malcolm X was a lead spokesman for the Nation of Islam, which advocated separatism for black Americans before his acrimonious split from the organisation. He was 39 when he was killed.
