On New Year’s Day 2009, 22-year-old Oscar Grant was shot and killed by former transit officer Johannes Mehserle on the platform of Fruitvale BART station in Oakland. Video of the shooting, recorded on cell phone by bystanders, spread virally, sparking protests in Oakland and gaining national attention. After a jury trial in Los Angeles last summer, Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and received the minimum sentence of two years in state prison. Mehserle returned back to court on June 1st and Judge Robert Perry ruled that Mehserle will be released on Monday. He has served 11 months of his two year sentence.
Tracy Bell-borden, community activist of Onyx, an Oakland group that has been organizing ongoing protests related to the case, says Mehserle’s release is the beginning of a new chapter. “We have been waiting for this because the civil lawsuit is just starting.”
The shooting stirred up racial tensions in the city, reigniting Oakland's long history of tension between its police force and the community. Mehersle, a white man, was videotaped from multiple angles, shooting Grant, a black man. The incident was followed by violent protests and looting in downtown Oakland.
Onyx is putting together a peace rally this Sunday at Fruitvale Bart Station at 3pm.
Karina Vargas, who testified on the first day of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle's preliminary hearing, returned to the scene of the shooting for the first time in this interview.
UPDATE- Full, uncut video from defense attorney Michael Rains' reaction to the denial of Mehserle's bail.
LOS ANGELES--The motion for bail for former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle has been denied. The defense attorney for Mehserle asked that his client be freed on a pending appeal of the involuntary manslaughter conviction for the 2009 shooting death of passenger Oscar Grant. When denying bail, Judge Robert Perry stated that "this court sincerely believes that the decision will not be reversed." The former BART police officer was sentenced to two years in prison last month, with credit for time already served.
The hearing took place in the same LA courtroom where the trial was held.
Follow the #OGTrial hashtag on twitter and @youthradio for updates as they come. And you can read our previous coverage of the case here.
Youth Radio’s Haldun Morgan reports from the scene on 6th Avenue between 16th and 17th streets in Oakland Friday night as police surround about 150 people most of whom were protesting the 2 year minimum sentence for BART policeman Johannes Mehserle in the shooting of Oscar Grant.
*Audio is on the scene reporting Friday night with slideshow of day time protests.
Youth Radio has created an online magazine (scroll down and click on the cover to flip through) documenting the 19 months following the shooting death of Oscar Grant at the hands of former Bay Area Rapid Transit Officer Johannes Mehserle.
In the following days, we'll be filling the magazine's final pages with our reporting on Mehserle's sentencing -- and with reflections gathered from the blank pages posted in downtown Oakland. Or you can add your comments, below.
Click here for more multimedia stories about the Oscar Grant case.
The following originally aired on KCBS.
By Leon Sykes.
For the past few weeks, talking to my friends about the Oscar Grant shooting trial, the long conversations were always the same.
They all wanted a second-degree murder verdict for former BART officer Johannes Mehserle. But everyone assumed acquittal was coming.
It didn't seem like jurors in LA felt the gravity that we felt. We were worrying about the verdict, and the response.
Fast-forward to 4:05 p.m. Thursday, July 8. I was in West Oakland, listening on the radio. I heard "guilty" and I clapped. Part of me was happy he was at least convicted. But another side of me was upset at the sentence. Two to four years doesn't seem enough. And even with the gun enhancement charge, five to 14 years doesn't seem enough.
While I do know some decent officers of the law, there are too many who are nowhere near decent, and those officers stick out. That's why so many Oaklanders were disappointed with the verdict. So when sentencing rolls around, I'm hoping the judge will take us into consideration.
Previously:
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OAKLAND-Youth Radio reporters and essayists were out in force the night the verdict was read. A week later, we present their reflections on the events of that night, as observers and chroniclers of this community.
Youth Radio's Pendarvis Hashaw did most of his reporting from the corner of 14th and Broadway on the night the verdict was announced.
The first thing I tweeted the morning of the Oscar Grant/Johannes Mehserle decision was a quote from my mom, “They're going to announce the verdict at the same time Lebron makes his announcement,” and that’s just how it went down.
Just after 3pm I was walking out of the Kaiser Building on 19th and Broadway, when I spotted a co-worker sitting on the stairs in front of the building. She said everyone was asked to leave Youth Radio...everyone, except reporters. I dashed back to 17th and Broadway, ran up the flight of stairs, and entered into the chaos of a newsroom in breaking news mode.
We kept our composure, devised schemes for safety, food, and most importantly: news coverage. By ten till three, I was reporting from the corner of 14th and Broadway. I made my way through the growing crowd, microphone in hand, listening to the murmurs of the assembled in my headphones. No radio was playing, no television, and I don't even remember hearing a phone ring, I just remember the whisper "involuntary manslaughter,” and then louder "Involuntary Manslaughter.” Next came a question "Involuntary Manslaughter?” Then an angry "Involuntary Manslaughter!”
Two older men voiced their opinions closer to the curb. On the other side of the crowd a girl with a sign and a nose piercing shed tears. And in the middle of the throng, a news camera was pointed at a man who said he was "drawing the energy of the moment.” I was confused as to what his statement meant, but that confusion matched the energy of the moment. It was Just after 4pm, and the scheduled post verdict rally wasn't supposed to start until six.
I left the confused and confusing corner, came back to Youth Radio for a breather, and returned back into the streets at 5:45. The crowd had grown. There were at least four news helicopters circling. Kids in hoodies danced to loud sound systems blasting music with lyrics expressing disdain for the police. White anarchists climbed street poles to display signs expressing how they felt about police. And individuals graced the makeshift stage on the corner of 14th and Broadway, eloquently expressed how they felt about the police.
I ran around getting interviews, taking down info, and catching up with old friends...I was working, but I'm a member of this community too. It was wild. It was energetic. It was the most fun I've had for free in Oakland in a long time. And most of all, it was memorable.
OAKLAND-Youth Radio reporters and essayists were out in force the night the verdict was read. A week later, we present their reflections on the events of that night, as observers and chroniclers of this community.
Youth Radio reporter Denise Tejada has been covering this story since the protests after Oscar Grant was killed more than a year and a half ago.
After the verdict was announced, I hit the streets. Protesters had already blocked off intersections. There were people walking around with megaphones and others holding Oscar Grant picture cut –outs. The protest started peacefully. City council members, community leaders, local musicians were amongst the peaceful crowd. A lot of people showed up, but as soon as the sun went down the crowd become rowdy.
Looters made their presence felt by breaking into Foot Locker, smashing its windows and stealing shoes. Police officers in riot gear lined up en mass to push looters away from downtown Oakland. As people were forced out of downtown, looters left behind broken windows, doors, and set trash cans on fire.
I felt the anger that night towards authorities.
As I watched people break into stores and stealing merchandise in front of police officers, I asked myself, why aren’t police doing anything? But as the night progressed and people become more violent, it was clear that if police intervened it would only make things worse. I was amongst an angry crowd of people. I saw various people taunting officers just to see how much cops could handle. And honestly, I felt cops held their own that night.
The level of violence and anger of that night didn’t compare to last year’s violent demonstrations. In last year’s protests, people were demanding Mehserle’s arrest and suspension. Over a year later, Mehserle was found guilty for involuntary manslaughter, a lesser degree from what protesters wanted, but one that indeed it brought some comfort to the streets.
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An event invitation titled “In Support of Johannes Mehserle and L.E.O.Rally” is making its way around Facebook. The invitation welcomes anyone who supports the former BART cop, his family and law enforcement officers. Creators emphasized their intent to keep the gathering PEACEFUL.
“This rally is NOT about inciting violence, destruction, intolerance, hatred, racism, riots or to upset the Grant family. If your intent is to do these things then please stay home. People who support law enforcement and Johannes have just as much right to rally together with other believers to have their voices heard and support one another.”
via Facebook
So far there are 76 confirmed guests attending this rally in support of Johannes Mehserle.
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LOS ANGELES - Sentencing for Johannes Mehserle in the involuntary manslaughter conviction in the death of Oscar Grant has been moved to the fall.
L.A. County Superior Court released an advisory this afternoon updating the sentencing from August 6th to November 5th at 8:30 a.m. Mehserle's attorney Michael Rains asked for an extension to prepare for sentencing.
In other news related to the verdict and its aftermath, it's being reported that Oakland police may bring charges against mayoral candidates Jean Quan and Rebecca Kaplan for their role in Thursday's protests after reviewing video footage of their involvement after the verdict was announced.
Click here for more multimedia stories about the Oscar Grant case.
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