KTVU Oscar Grant Verdict

The jury in Los Angeles Thursday found former police officer BART Johannes Mehserle guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the murder of Oscar Grant III.

The jury reached its verdict after a full day of discussion on whether, Mehserle should be acquitted and convicted of second-degree murder and the murder of 1 January 2009, killing in Oakland, California, in which he said that he Mehserle mistakenly pulled out a gun instead of a stun gun.


Mehserle trial was moved from the Bay Area to Los Angeles because of racial tensions and the excessive media coverage, KTVU-TV, San Francisco, said. Mehserle white, and Grant was black.

Witnesses shot video of the murder, which shows, Mehserle shot in the back, as Grant Grant was lying face down. Mehserle resigned from BART 1 week after the shooting - at about the same time, as the protesters turned violent in Oakland, California, breaking windows and setting cars on fire.

Law enforcement departments in Bay Area have been prepared for possible violence and unrest in the period after the verdict Thursday.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement calling on the public "to remain calm in light of the verdict and not resort to violence."

"I talked with the mayor of Oakland, Ron Dellums, and assured him, we are also ready to assist in maintaining order."

Dellums - a public statement last week, police, fire, organizers and other elected officials - said he understood the public anger and pain in connection with the death of Grant, but he said that the appropriate response is to work for justice.

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Oscar Grant Verdict,Mehserle Verdict

After the suspense during the trial, Johannes Mehserle jury in Los Angeles found a former police officer BART guilty of involuntary manslaughter in January 2009, the death of Oscar Grant. Mehserle accused of shooting 22-year-old Grant's back as he lay face down on the station platform Fruitvale BART Oakland after a row broke out on the train. Mehserle pleaded not guilty, saying that he took the gun over Taser stun gun.
According to reports from the courthouse in Los Angeles, involuntary murder conviction, as well as additional confidence Meshlere to use a gun in the death of Grant may pay a penalty of 5 to 14 years. Other options before the jury entered an excuse murder, which would have carried a sentence of 3 to 11 years old and second-degree murder, which would have carried a sentence of 40 years to life imprisonment.
Last week in Los Angeles Supreme Court Judge Robert Perry ruled that Mehserle can not be convicted of first degree murder, arguing that the evidence in court showed that Mehserle not planning to kill Grant, and shot him once in the back.
At 4:30 pm, a small crowd of 50 to 100 people gathered at Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland. As word of the sentence spread through a cell phone, Oakland resident Amber Royal, who says that she lives in the area of Grant, burst into tears. Man killed in our city, and it comes with 6 years or whatever, this is bulls ** to me, "she said.

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Bart Verdict Want Justice

Lawyers and activists said they were disappointed and dissatisfied with the fact that the former officer of BART was convicted of involuntary manslaughter was shot and killed an unarmed man in a black railway station Auckland.

John Burris, family lawyer Grant said that he was "extremely disappointed" with the sentence, which he considered a slap victim's family.


"The sentence is not a true representation of what happened to Oscar Grant and that the officer did to him that night, he said." This is not a matter of involuntary homicide. This is really compromised verdict .... The family is extremely dissatisfied with what happened. This is not a true reflection of how the criminal justice system should work. "

Olis Simmons, executive director of Oakland youth, who advocates a peaceful reaction, called the verdict a miscarriage of justice.

"This is going to him. This trip," said the head of the youth rebellion. "I think that everyone - family, every young black man who is afraid of the police - all goes to this as a miscarriage of justice."

She said federal prosecutors must file a civil suit against the rights of a former officer of BART.

"It does not reflect well that we are all-white jury, and it really leaves the impression that the people of his profession and his race is more important than the life of a young man."

She said that she feared would not be violence, but she hopes "for the best.

Johannes Mehserle was charged with intentionally fired a pistol when he tried to handcuff Oscar J. Grant III in the first day of New Year 2009. Mehserle, 28, tearfully revealed that the fire was a tragic accident occurs, when he mistakenly grabbed his gun, not an electric Taser weapon during the fight with Grant.

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