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Key Witness in Slaying of 2 Cops May Not Testify Los Angeles Sentinel; 5/5/1994; James Bolden Los Angeles Sentinel 05-05-1994 Key Witness in Slaying of 2 Cops May not Testify. Witness angered by eviction from Compton Hotel where he was living under Witness Protection Program pending the court trial By JAMES BOLDEN Staff Writer A man considered a key witness in the case of a reputed gang member accused of murdering two Compton police officers has stated that he will no longer cooperate with prosecutors, but District Attorney officials say they can try the case without him. Citing an eviction from a hotel where he was living under the city's witness protection program pending the January trial in the case, Calvin Cooksey, who helped police connect the murder weapon to an alleged suspect in the case, has all but gone underground. The Sentinel has obtained receipts of Cooksey's six-month stay at the hotel, where he reportedly lived for $49 a day--plus tax. Over a six-month period, Cooksey, who lived lavishly under the guard of the Compton Police Department, generated a bill of over $8,500. Assistant District Attorney Mark Arnold said in a phone interview that his office as well as the Compton Police Department, bent over backwards for Cooksey. Among their efforts were putting him up in a hotel for six months and relocating his immediate family members. But that wasn't enough, said Arnold, who prosecutes cases out of the district attorney's Crimes Against Police Officers Unit (COPA), stated that hotel officials and Compton police became fed up with Cooksey's inappropriate behavior. But in an interview with the Sentinel this week, Cooksey, who says he's been on the run since being removed from the hotel, explained his refusal to testify in the case because of threats to his life by street gangs and "harassment" he received by police which lead to his arrest in the hotel's lobby. According to police files, Cooksey, who describes himself as a "player," is no stranger to the department. In fact, the outgoing, selfdescribed hustler admits making lots of cash illegally. But Cooksey says his latest venture to secure a reward in the well-publicized police murder case may cost him his life. Cooksey says not only has his life been put in danger with the release of his name in a March 9 article of a local newspaper, he has also been forced to go into hiding-- with no place to go. "I can't even go visit my family anymore," Cooksey explained, adding that he must keep a low profile in all his activities following his testimony at a preliminary hearing that implicated Deon Regis Thomas, a reputed Bounty Hunters street gang member, in the murder of two Compton police officers. According to court transcripts, Cooksey, 32, helped police connect the murder weapon used in the slayings to Thomas. Cooksey came forward with the information after the city offered a $10,000 plus reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s). Officers Kevin Burrell, 29, and James MacDonald, 23, were murdered Feb. 22, 1993 during a routine traffic stop of a red pickup truck. Cooksey said Thomas, whose wife owns a vehicle with a similar description, bragged about killing the officers during a conversation in the Nickerson Gardens housing project. "I did it. F-- those motherf----cops, F--those punks, they slipped," Cooksey testified hearing Thomas say. While watching a television reenactment of the murders, Cooksey described how Thomas boasted about overpowering the officers, despite their extensive law enforcement training. "Reggie said he had his gun in his hands (in the car) and was shaking. When the black cop (Burrell) arrived, got close to the quarter panel, (Thomas) kicked open the side door and shot (Burrell) in the chest once," Cooksey testified. "And then (Thomas) went over to the white officer (MacDonald) who was in the car, shot him in the face, and then he went back over to the black officer ... shot him three times in the head." Cooksey volunteered to get rid of the weapon for Thomas. Thomas, he said, agreed. Cooksey told police he then sold the gun to a Nickerson Gardens resident for $250. Cooksey testified that he returned later with an undercover Compton police officer to repurchase the weapon for $350. Thomas' trial in the slayings is scheduled to begin in January, 1995. No one involved with the case, including the district attorney and police officials, are sure if Cooksey is deceiving them or not. Compton police officials could not be contacted by press time. Ethnic NewsWatch © SoftLine Information, Inc., Stamford, CT News Topics | Home | Research | History | Blood Gangs | Crip Gangs | People| Life in a Gang | Gallery | Iraqi Cards | Memorial | Migration | Graffiti | Resume| Injunctions Homicides | Maps | California Prisons | Contact

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