Officer Guilty in Killing That Inflamed Oakland

[groovedaddy]

A white Bay Area transit officer was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on Thursday by a Los Angeles jury in the shooting death of an unarmed black man on Jan. 1, 2009, ending a closely watched trial that percolated with racial tension and cries for peace in the city of Oakland, Calif., where the killing occurred.

The officer, Johannes Mehserle, 28, had been accused of a more serious charge, second-degree murder, in the death of Oscar Grant III, 22, a butcher’s apprentice who was shot while lying face down on a platform after being removed from a Bay Area Rapid Transit train during a fight.

City officials were worried about a reprise of the 2009 riots that erupted in downtown Oakland, with crowds burning cars and smashing storefronts after Mr. Grant’s shooting, which was captured on cellphone video and widely disseminated on the Internet.

Initial reaction on Thursday was not promising: several hundred people gathered near Oakland City Hall early in the evening, and were seen to be taunting police officers in riot gear and throwing bottles. At least one person was either hit by a vehicle or injured by the surging crowd. But a heavy police presence seemed to be keeping the peace, and hundreds of others were listening peacefully to speakers who had gathered downtown.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/us/09verdict.html?th&emc=th

[Warpy]

1. Wingers were crowing about all the riots in Oakland last night

I did a search and it seems our friends at Pajamas Media were the only ones pushing the story of massive riots.

It would be interesting to know how many rocks and/or bottles were shied at the cops. There's a vast difference between a handful and a hundred. The NYT makes it look like the former, possibly agents provocateurs.

Mr. Grant's family had pushed for quiet and it seems they got it.

[rocktivity]

2. At the VERY least, he should have been convicted of VOLUNTARY manslaughter

Involuntary manslaughter suggests recklessness and/or negligence rather than intent. Voluntary manslaughter means you killed someone you were deliberately trying to injure. Since the victim was lying face down on the ground, I kind of doubt Mehserle reached for a weapon negligently.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[tekisui]

3. Not guilty of murder. Guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

[kerkes]

4. Mehserle sentence delayed until november ridiculous

found guilty, yet sentencing still not done; the maximum sentence for mehserle is ludicrous, too short; actions by citizens AGAINST police officers carry higher jail or prison terms than against other citizens-police officers SHOULD be held to the highest sentences yet and perhaps some would carry a level of responsibility. the video alone is hard to watch and yet Defense was able to put off sentencing until november-disgusting.

http://www.wacktrap.com/legal/police/historic-mehserle-trial-cop-tried-murder-line-duty-shooting