BART POLICE MURDER OSCAR GRANT

deja vu with '92
No doubt, people in the Bay Area are having traumatic flashbacks to the 1992 shooting death of 19 year old Jerrold Hall this week as yet another young Black man has died at the hands of BART police. This story is just now starting to gain some legs though I'm surprised, in age of viral video and social networking, it hasn't spread even faster than it has already. Consider that Greece erupted nationally a few weeks ago over the police killing of a youth, this newly developing story around the shooting death of Oscar Grant is just as egregious, if not more.

Here's the SF Chron's most recent story on the shooting, identifying police officer Johannes Mehserle as the shooter. The story also includes what is now emerging as a popular "explanation" amongst apologists: Mehserle meant to use a Taser on Grant but accidentally(?!) pulled his gun out instead. (I'm not sure how that should make anyone feel safer).

KTVU television has very graphic video (warning!) from cell phone cameras of the shooting where it very clearly shows Grant, on his stomach, in a subdued position, with three cops standing over him, when Mehserle stands, pulls his weapon, points and shoots. Grant, at best, is struggling, but he's clearly not in any position to threaten anyone physically.

Personally, I cannot imagine how anyone could spin this as anything except for murder - not necessarily premeditated but most certainly unlawful. The tragic irony is that Grant left behind a 4 year old daughter while Mehserle became a new father within days of the shooting.

There's going to be a rally at the Fruitvale BART Station (where Grant was killed) on Wednesday afternoon, between 3-7pm.

--O.W.