Biography
John L. Cheatham was the 19-year-old lieutenant of information for the Boston Black Panther Party when Connecticut police arrested him on August 7, 1969 after a New Haven rally. Contemporary Panther reporting rendered his surname as “Cheetum.” Police alleged that the rental car carrying the group had been obtained with a stolen credit card. Cheatham was jailed on $15,000 bail and released on bail before August 23. The reviewed records do not give his exact release date or a final disposition.
