Oscar Grant

Oscar Grant III was shot and killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer in Oakland, California, on January 1, 2009. The shooting, which happened on a station platform, ignited controversy because the 22-year-old Grant was unarmed. Cell phone video of the shooting taken by a train passenger appears to show the BART officer Johannes Mehserle shooting Grant in the back. Other cell phone videos from the scene appear to depict another officer striking grant in the face prior to the shooting.http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/25/BABG15GNB1.DTL On March 2, 2009 the family of Grant filed a $50 million wrongful death and violation of civil rights lawsuit against the officers involved.http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/03/bart.lawsuit/index.html

About 400 protesters gathered near the BART station in the neighborhood of Fruitvale, on the night of Wednesday, January 7, 2009. Some of the protesters took to the streets and set fires, vandalized cars, broke windows and attacked a police car. About 250 police officers in riot gear responded and sprayed tear gas at the crowd. The riot continued to escalate, causing authorities to shut down some city streets. Police arrested about 105 people.http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/08/BART.shooting/index.html

Officer Johannes Mehserle resigned his position on January 7, 2009; his attorney and union representative turned in his resignation on his behalf.http://www.mercurynews.com/crime/ci_11399018 After receiving death threats, Johannes was forced to move several times before being arrested in Nevada for the murder of Grant. He then pleaded not guilty and was held until his next court hearing.http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/16/BART.shooting.plea/index.html At the next hearing his bail was then set at 3 million dollars, and he was released until his next court date.http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/30/BABI15KCD5.DTL

On November 5, 2010 Johannes was given a sentence of two years in prison for the fatal shooting of Grant. Mehserle claimed in court that he did not mean to shoot Grant, and was reaching for his Taser. He also claimed during his testimony that he believed at that time that Grant was concealing a weapon. The family of Grant declined to talk to reporters after the verdict was given.http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/bart-officer-sentenced.html