LOS ANGELES – Community leaders Friday called for peace in the city if convicted killer and Crips gang co-founder Stanley Tookie Williams is put to death next week as scheduled.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger heard arguments this week from Williams' lawyers seeking to spare his life but hasn't said if he will grant clemency to the death row inmate condemned for the 1979 killing of four people.
Williams' supporters, from political leaders to the rapper Snoop Dogg, say Williams has turned his life around and become a positive influence in fighting gang violence through his writing. To execute him now, they say, would take away one of the most effective voices urging young people to steer clear of gangs.
Williams, 51, is scheduled to die at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison.
On Friday, four City Council members urged religious leaders to open their churches to those upset by the case.
Though community opinions about Williams vary, even a small group could provoke widespread civil unrest, said Councilman Bernard Parks, a former police chief. Parks alluded to the 1992 Los Angeles riots that followed the acquittal of white police officers in the beating of black motorist Rodney King.
"All you need is a few to disrupt the entire city," Parks said.
Robin Toma, executive director of the county's Commission on Human Relations, worried that schools could be targeted, though he would not say why.
Despite the concerns, Los Angeles police have received no credible threats of possible violence related to the Williams' case, according to Lt. Paul Vernon. He said police have no plans to deploy more officers.
"We don't want to unduly concern the community over unconfirmed rumors," he said.
If the governor grants clemency, Williams' death sentence would be commuted to life without parole.
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