HARLEM AND ROCHESTER RIOTS- A 15-YEAR-OLD BLACK TEENAGER KILLED - 118 PEOPLE INJURED - $2 MILLION IN PROPERTY DAMAGE
Sparked on July 16, 1964, when an off-duty white police officer fatally shot 15-year-old Black youth James Powell, igniting six days of protests and clashes. The unrest spread to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. It resulted in 1 death, over 100 injuries, more than 450 arrests, and roughly $2 million in property damage.
$2 MILLION IN PROPERTY DAMAGE
The Spark: The Incident on East 76th Street
The Dispute: James Powell was attending summer school at Robert Wagner Junior High School on Manhattan's Upper East Side. On July 16, a white building superintendent watering plants nearby sprayed Black students with water. An argument ensued, and students threw trash can lids and bottles at the superintendent, who fled into a building.
The Shooting: Thomas Gilligan, a white, 6-foot-tall, 200-pound off-duty NYPD lieutenant, intervened. He confronted the 120-pound Powell. Gilligan fired his revolver three times, hitting Powell twice—once in the forearm and once in the chest—killing him on the sidewalk in front of dozens of classmates.
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The 1964 Harlem Riot was directly ignited by the police killing of James Powell, a 15-year-old Black teenager, on July 16, 1964. The event exposed severe racial tensions, conflicting narratives of police brutality, and systemic injustice in New York City.
The Spark: The Incident on East 76th Street
The Dispute: James Powell was attending summer school at Robert Wagner Junior High School on Manhattan's Upper East Side. On July 16, a white building superintendent watering plants nearby sprayed Black students with water. An argument ensued, and students threw trash can lids and bottles at the superintendent, who fled into a building.
The Shooting: Thomas Gilligan, a white, 6-foot-tall, 200-pound off-duty NYPD lieutenant, intervened. He confronted the 120-pound Powell. Gilligan fired his revolver three times, hitting Powell twice—once in the forearm and once in the chest—killing him on the sidewalk in front of dozens of classmates.
Conflicting Stories: Officer Gilligan claimed Powell lunged at him with a pocketknife. Conversely, many teenage eyewitnesses and civil rights leaders strongly maintained that Powell was unarmed. They argued that deadly force against a child was entirely unnecessary.
Escalation and Six Nights of Rioting
Immediate Outrage: News of the killing spread instantly. Nearly 300 Black students immediately gathered at the scene, throwing bottles and cans at responding police.
The Clashes: The peaceful protest dissolved into violence when police charged into the crowds. For six consecutive nights, an estimated 4,000 people took to the streets across Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant (Brooklyn), smashing windows, looting white-owned businesses, and battling tactical police.
The Aftermath and Judicial Fallout
Casualties and Damage: The unrest resulted in 1 death (a Black resident killed by police), 118 injuries, and 465 arrests. Over 500 shops were damaged, causing between $1 million and $2 million in property destruction.
No Indictment: In September 1964, a grand jury cleared Lieutenant Gilligan of all criminal liability, ruling the shooting was self-defense. The NYPD Civilian Complaint Review Board also cleared him.
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