Today’s hearing for the former BART officer Johanes Mehserle charged with first-degree murder for the New Year’s Day killing of 22-year-old Oscar Grant has been postponed to May 18th. Tensions in Oakland are high after the shooting deaths of four police officers over the weekend. Community members are speaking out against the decision by District Attorney Tom Orloff and the superior court judge to delay the hearing: “This delay only increases the anger against police and the justice system in the wake of the recent killings of Oakland police,” said Ronald Cruz, of the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality by Any Means Necessary (BAMN), “The only true way the police can begin to repair their standing with the community is to prosecute Mehserle and the other BART police with the vigilance this murder demands.” Oscar Grant’s death sparked protests on Oakland streets at the beginning of the year, as residents protested the delay in bringing charges against Johanes Mehserle. Now, the damaged relationship between community members and police officers remains troubled as people in Oakland deal with the aftermath of the shooting of 4 police officers by 26-year-old Lovelle Mixon after a routine traffic stop in East Oakland. Three officers are dead and one was declared brain dead on Sunday.

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