In the wake of the Hibernia Bank robbery, the SLA relocated from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, the hometown of leader DeFreeze. The group moved into Compton, a poor black neighborhood, and stockpiled weapons in several safehouses.

On May 16, 1974, Hearst and the Harrises left the group to buy supplies at Mel's Sporting Goods in Inglewood. Hearst, armed with a machine gun, stayed in a van parked across the street while the couple shopped. A store security guard spotted Bill Harris shoplifting an ammunition case and tried to stop the couple. The trio was scuffling outside the store when Hearst opened fire from the van. The shots hit the building, and the Harrises managed to free themselves and join Hearst in the van. After ditching the van and stealing several cars, Hearst and the Harrises eluded the police and secreted themselves in a motel.

Investigators, however, recovered the van and found a parking ticket from the Compton neighborhood. Police went to the neighborhood, and more than 400 officers and FBI agents surrounded the SLA at a small stucco house on 54th Street.

SWAT teams repeatedly demanded that the occupants of the house surrender, and two people who were not members of the SLA did exit, but the soldiers did not respond to the bullhorns. Police shot teargas canisters into the house, and a gun battle ensued. A quick-moving blaze erupted in the house, perhaps caused by the tear gas canisters and the SLA's cache of gasoline and molatov cocktails.

Perry and Hall exited the house, but were shot by officers who concluded they were trying to kill police rather than surrender. Four others — DeFreeze, Wolfe, Atwood and Soltysik — died inside.

The entire siege played out before a live national audience. Watching in a motel near Disneyland were the remaining members of the SLA — the Harrises and Hearst. Many who watched were horrified and condemned the police conduct.

In Berkeley, a friend of Atwood, Kathleen Soliah, organized a memorial rally for Atwood and the other SLA soldiers. About 100 people attended the event in Ho Chi Minh Park. Several days later a Los Angeles radio station received a communiqué from the SLA survivors. In the taped message, Hearst praised each of the slain members. Her description of Wolfe as "the gentlest, most beautiful man I've ever known" prompted speculation that the two had been lovers.

Near the end of the communiqué, Bill Harris claimed, "The SLA is not dead and will not die as long as there is one living, fighting member of any oppressed class, race, sex or group left on the face of this Earth."

In search of money and support, what was left of the SLA headed north to the Bay Area.


NEXT: Exile and Kathleen Soliah