List of Sons of Anarchy Characters - Gang Members - Damon Pope

Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau) is the main antagonist of Season 5, first mentioned at Season 4's finale as the most dangerous gangster in Oakland. A seemingly powerful business man in the outside, Damon Pope is a bloodthirsty, ruthless and calculating individual who has power over many black gangs and does not hesitate to use extreme degrees of violence to demonstrate his power, and to make things go as he wants. He distances himself of his illegal activities as he does not want any of them to leave a trail on him. He goes to extreme lengths to ensure exact order on his operations and had Laroy Wayne killed and dismembered when he started a war on SAMCRO after the death of Veronica Pope, his daughter and Laroy's girlfriend at the hands of Tig as the incidents would eventually be linked to Pope. After Jax tries to negotiate with Pope, he sends his right-hand man August Marks (Billy Brown) to instruct the One-Niners and has one of their members named leaders and orders him to kill Jax on the reunion. The murder deliberately failed as August had the weapon without bullets, and Marks has the One-Niner member executed in front of Jax and names a new one leader ordering an immediate ceasefire between the Niners and SAMCRO, all to demonstrate Pope decides who lives and who dies. Pope had Tig kidnapped by a detective, which demonstrates his influence in law enforcing. Having chained Tig, Pope has Dawn burned alive in front of him in retaliation, neglecting Tig's pleas to kill him instead. He also paid four witnesses against Jax, Tig and Chibs on the murders committed by Pope, so that they end in prison and by extension killed by the black prison gangs, thus leaving no trail whatsoever. He later meets with Jax making a list of demands including half of their monthly payments for muling the Galindo cartel's cocaine, Tig to stay in prison forever, and a dead Son for the Niner and cop killed by them. When Jax states he is not going to war, Pope responds with "You're already in it, son". When Opie is killed as the tribute, Jax meets with Pope again, telling him he needs Tig to come with them as he needs the advantage given to him by saving his life. Pope agrees, saying this is "how players become kings". He later makes a new deal with Jax; offering to double his muling fee from the Cartel by letting his gang in on the business as well as warning him that he has assassins on stand-by if he is killed. He also gives him the identity and address of the prison sergeant who had Opie killed. The motion is narrowly voted in and Jax kills the sergeant for Opie. However, when it's discovered that the three Nomads recently patched into SAMCRO are behind the break-ins, and Jax and Chibs are attacked by two black men with machine guns, he asks Pope if he was responsible for either incident. Pope denies this and Niner President Tyler helps Jax find the second shooter. Jax later gives Pope a portfolio on Charming Heights, asking if he is interested in investing. He seems willing, but states that there is one obstacle to their growing business relationship: Tig. Pope states Jax must give him up soon or he will step in, which "nobody wants." Eventually Jax promises to deliver Tig to him in an abandoned garage where Tig can be killed easily and without traces. After Pope has Tig tied up and readies to kill him in the garage, Jax uses Clay's silenced pistol to murder Pope's henchmen and save Tig. A cornered Pope tells Jax "he knows what will happen if somebody kills him", but Jax merely responds that he "is counting on it" and is soon gunned down afterwards by Tig, and his murder is framed upon Clay, who is arrested and has a bounty placed by August.