Biography
Richard Reginald “Reggie” Schell helped build the Philadelphia Black Panther Party and served as its defense captain. He was held following a September 1969 raid in a prosecution alleging possession of a stolen government M-14 rifle. Schell later organized the Black United Liberation Front and remained active in Philadelphia community campaigns and support for Mumia Abu-Jamal until his death in 2012.
The Philadelphia report identifies defense captain Richard “Reggie” Schell among six Panthers arrested at about 10:30 p.m. on September 23, 1969. Four were released by 7 a.m. September 24; Schell remained held on an allegation concerning a stolen government M-14 rifle. The stated ten-year maximum was possible exposure, not an imposed or served term.
