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Riots in California after police officer who
shot dead unarmed black man is cleared of murder
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:22 AM on 9th July 2010
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...es-Mehserle-cleared-murder.html#ixzz0tBM2ZZL3
A wave of fury was gripping the city of Oakland in California today after a police officer caught on camera shooting an unarmed black man dead on a train platform was cleared of murder.
Former transport police officer Johannes Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of 22-year-old Oscar Grant.
Mr Grant was shot as he lay face down on a train platform in an incident that was compared to the 1992 beating of Rodney King.
Fury: Police arrest a protester on the streets of Oakland last night as riots broke out over the killing of 22-year-old Oscar Grant by a white officer
Fury: Police arrest a protester on the streets of Oakland last night as riots broke out over the killing of 22-year-old Oscar Grant by a white officer last year
oscar
Johannes Mehserle
Victim: Oscar Grant (left) was shot dead by former transport police officer Johannes Mehserle (right)
At least five bystanders videotaped the New Year's Day 2009 incident. It polarised the city along racial lines, sparking riots.
Fallout was swift after the videos were shown on television and the internet last year.
In the nearly two weeks it took to arrest Mehserle, the city spiralled into a tailspin of violence as downtown businesses were damaged, cars were set ablaze and clashes erupted between protesters and police.
Mehserle, 28, claimed officers had been responding to reports of a fight at the station.
Race riots: Police wrestle another demonstrator to the ground in Oakland last night. The Oscar Grant case has been compared to the 1992 LAPD beating of Rodney King
Race riots: Police wrestle another demonstrator to the ground in Oakland last night. The Oscar Grant case has been compared to the 1992 LAPD beating of Rodney King
Trouble brewing: A crowd gathers in Oakland after the verdict as riot police watch carefully for trouble
He said he struggled with Grant. Fearing that he had a weapon, Mehserle decided to shock him with a Taser.
But he drew his .40 calibre handgun instead, and shot Grant dead.
His conviction of manslaughter carries a sentence of two to four years.
Last night protesters spilled into the streets, breaking into stores and setting fire to rubbish bins as Grant's family slammed the verdict.
My son was murdered! He was murdered! He was murdered!' Mr Grant's mother Wanda said.
Cephus Johnson, Mr Grant's uncle, said the family had been 'slapped in the face by a system that has denied us a right to true justice'.
'We truly do not blame the jury, but we blame the system,' he added.
Grief: Grant's mother Wanda, centre, is comforted by family and friends outside the courthouse after the verdict
Grief: Grant's mother Wanda, centre, is comforted by family and friends outside the courthouse after the verdict
On the east side of San Francisco Bay, police in riot gear were deployed on the streets of Oakland.
A small incendiary device was defused near a police station and protesters broke into a Foot Locker store. Several were injured.
A crowd near Oakland City Hall moaned and cursed when they heard the verdict. A dozen people gathered in a semi-circle to pray.
'It's not real, it's not real. Where's the justice? He was killed in cold blood,' said Amber Royal, 23, of Oakland.
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California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement urging people to remain calm and not resort to violence.
The jury had a choice between murder and lesser charges of voluntary and involuntary manslaughter.
A mural of Oscar Grant in Oakland, where he has become a martyred victim to the cause of civil rights
It found that Mehserle did not mean to kill Mr Grant, but that his behaviour was so negligent that it was criminal.
The jury included eight women and four men. None listed their race as black. Seven said they were white, three were Latino, and one was Asian-Pacific. One declined to state their race.
They left the court under tight security.
Alameda County deputy district attorney David Stein said in his closing argument that Mehserle let his emotions get the better of him and intended to shoot Grant with the handgun without justification.
Mehserle pleaded not guilty to murder and resigned from the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency after the shooting.
Mr Grant had recently been released from jail after being sentenced to 16 months for a gun possession charge filed after he ran from police and was subdued by an officer with a stun gun.
Mr Grant has become a martyr of sorts in a city where more than a third of residents are black.
His omnipresent image on buildings and storefront windows arguably rivals that of murdered home-town rapper Tupac Shakur.
Mr Grant's family and friends filed multi-million-dollar lawsuits against the transit agency. Only the mother of Grant's daughter has reached a settlement.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...es-Mehserle-cleared-murder.html#ixzz0tBLmcYh9
shot dead unarmed black man is cleared of murder
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:22 AM on 9th July 2010
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...es-Mehserle-cleared-murder.html#ixzz0tBM2ZZL3
A wave of fury was gripping the city of Oakland in California today after a police officer caught on camera shooting an unarmed black man dead on a train platform was cleared of murder.
Former transport police officer Johannes Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of 22-year-old Oscar Grant.
Mr Grant was shot as he lay face down on a train platform in an incident that was compared to the 1992 beating of Rodney King.
Fury: Police arrest a protester on the streets of Oakland last night as riots broke out over the killing of 22-year-old Oscar Grant by a white officer
Fury: Police arrest a protester on the streets of Oakland last night as riots broke out over the killing of 22-year-old Oscar Grant by a white officer last year
oscar
Johannes Mehserle
Victim: Oscar Grant (left) was shot dead by former transport police officer Johannes Mehserle (right)
At least five bystanders videotaped the New Year's Day 2009 incident. It polarised the city along racial lines, sparking riots.
Fallout was swift after the videos were shown on television and the internet last year.
In the nearly two weeks it took to arrest Mehserle, the city spiralled into a tailspin of violence as downtown businesses were damaged, cars were set ablaze and clashes erupted between protesters and police.
Mehserle, 28, claimed officers had been responding to reports of a fight at the station.
Race riots: Police wrestle another demonstrator to the ground in Oakland last night. The Oscar Grant case has been compared to the 1992 LAPD beating of Rodney King
Race riots: Police wrestle another demonstrator to the ground in Oakland last night. The Oscar Grant case has been compared to the 1992 LAPD beating of Rodney King
Trouble brewing: A crowd gathers in Oakland after the verdict as riot police watch carefully for trouble
He said he struggled with Grant. Fearing that he had a weapon, Mehserle decided to shock him with a Taser.
But he drew his .40 calibre handgun instead, and shot Grant dead.
His conviction of manslaughter carries a sentence of two to four years.
Last night protesters spilled into the streets, breaking into stores and setting fire to rubbish bins as Grant's family slammed the verdict.
My son was murdered! He was murdered! He was murdered!' Mr Grant's mother Wanda said.
Cephus Johnson, Mr Grant's uncle, said the family had been 'slapped in the face by a system that has denied us a right to true justice'.
'We truly do not blame the jury, but we blame the system,' he added.
Grief: Grant's mother Wanda, centre, is comforted by family and friends outside the courthouse after the verdict
Grief: Grant's mother Wanda, centre, is comforted by family and friends outside the courthouse after the verdict
On the east side of San Francisco Bay, police in riot gear were deployed on the streets of Oakland.
A small incendiary device was defused near a police station and protesters broke into a Foot Locker store. Several were injured.
A crowd near Oakland City Hall moaned and cursed when they heard the verdict. A dozen people gathered in a semi-circle to pray.
'It's not real, it's not real. Where's the justice? He was killed in cold blood,' said Amber Royal, 23, of Oakland.
More...
* Riots as 'King of basketball' LeBron James abandons his team on national TV to sign with Miami Heat
California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement urging people to remain calm and not resort to violence.
The jury had a choice between murder and lesser charges of voluntary and involuntary manslaughter.
A mural of Oscar Grant in Oakland, where he has become a martyred victim to the cause of civil rights
It found that Mehserle did not mean to kill Mr Grant, but that his behaviour was so negligent that it was criminal.
The jury included eight women and four men. None listed their race as black. Seven said they were white, three were Latino, and one was Asian-Pacific. One declined to state their race.
They left the court under tight security.
Alameda County deputy district attorney David Stein said in his closing argument that Mehserle let his emotions get the better of him and intended to shoot Grant with the handgun without justification.
Mehserle pleaded not guilty to murder and resigned from the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency after the shooting.
Mr Grant had recently been released from jail after being sentenced to 16 months for a gun possession charge filed after he ran from police and was subdued by an officer with a stun gun.
Mr Grant has become a martyr of sorts in a city where more than a third of residents are black.
His omnipresent image on buildings and storefront windows arguably rivals that of murdered home-town rapper Tupac Shakur.
Mr Grant's family and friends filed multi-million-dollar lawsuits against the transit agency. Only the mother of Grant's daughter has reached a settlement.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...es-Mehserle-cleared-murder.html#ixzz0tBLmcYh9
