 Early actions of the Black Panthers involved intercepting in police brutalities through using arms to enforce police rules of conduct.After the arrest of Huey Newton on October 28, 1967 for an armed scuffle with the Oakland Police resulting in the death of Officer John Frey, David Hilliard acted as the interim leader of the Black Panthers.Hilliard helped to then organize a rally in February 1968 called the "Free Huey Rally" that drew 6,000 people.