Mehserle - Involuntary Manslaughter

If someone had snatched Mehserle's gun shot him in the back and
claimed they meant to snatch the taser,
I wonder what the verdict would be?

Oscar Grant Vigil 2010 /The Verdict

I'm posting this after the verdict has been passed.
Lot's of folks seem to think that poor Johannes Mehserle is getting a bad deal. I can't help but wonder how they feel about the deal the child of Oscar Grant is getting, Maybe in a fair world, if this really was an accident Mehserle would have to support Grant's family for the rest of his life.
 What was it that Grant was stopped for in the first place? Why was he even in custody? If Mehserle was so innocent why did he leave the State of California?
I firmly believe that had there been no witnesses,he wouldn't have faced any charges and the other officers would have all shot Grant in order to further blur the truth about who did the actual killing the way it was done with Sean Bell and Amidou Diallo.
Many white people seem to feel complaining about this case is whining but then since they, even when
guilty of something, are less likely to be stopped than an innocent black person, it's not their problem so we need to find a way to bring this to their front door.
The police according to the videos were already getting rough with Grant and his companions
while it's never been clear to me if they had been doing anything illegal at all.
With two cops already kneeling on his back why was it even necessary to even taser Grant ? It seems to me if they hadn't brutalized him in the first place he wouldn't have had to be defensive. Watching the videos I noticed that the witnesses were not pleased with the way the police were "handling these young men". Is it possible that Grant would have simply submitted if the police hadn't thrown him down and kneed him on the back and neck? Were they making an arrest or a display of public humiliation? Until these questions are addressed this case will never come out right. We have to come up with a way to make  sure that this maltreatment is stopped and soon.





Courtesy Documentary

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BART reaches $1.5 million settlement for daughter of Oscar Grant

01.27.2010

BART reaches $1.5 million settlement for daughter of Oscar Grant

Late this afternoon, BART reached an agreement with the mother of Oscar Grant’s young daughter Tatiana. The settlement is for $1.5 million and stems from the $50 million lawsuit filed against the agency following the officer-involved shooting that took place on the Fruitvale BART Station platform early New Year’s Day. BART officials issued the following statements:

“It’s been a little over a year since we experienced the tragic death of Oscar Grant,” BART Board President James Fang said. “No matter what anyone’s opinion of the case may be, the sad fact remains this incident has left Tatiana without a father. The $1.5 million settlement will provide financial support for her. A federal judge oversaw the settlement proceedings and the structure of the settlement will still need to be approved by the court. While these proceedings have been taking place, we on the BART Board have been taking the actions needed to improve the BART Police Department to ensure our officers are better-trained and better-equipped to keep our customers safe.”

“This settlement is critical in our efforts to move forward,” BART Board Member Carole Ward Allen said. Ward Allen chairs the BART Police Department Review Committee, which is guiding the implementation of the changes within the police department. “We’re working hard to make the Police Department the best it can be for our officers, our customers and our community.”

BART POLICE REFORMS UNDERWAY

Since the shooting, BART has made a number of significant changes including:

* Working with the State Legislature to pass a bill (AB1586) on citizen oversight of the BART Police Department implemented – Monday, January 25, the State Assembly passed AB1586 (67-0), it now heads to the State Senate.

* More than tripling the number of training hours provided all officers, including increased training in crowd control, defensive tactics and Taser use.

* Involving the public in BART’s search for a new police chief.

* Increasing police visibility in stations and on trains.

* Requiring officers to report all use-of-force incidents, not just those deemed “significant,” with each incident thoroughly reviewed by a newly-established panel that determines the next appropriate steps of action.

Any questions should be directed to BART’s outside counsel, Dale Allen, at 415-981-6630.

This is from the BART web site.

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Hannibal Shakur speaks to Southern California activists regarding the up coming Mehserle trial and POLICE BRUTALITY.