BART Cop Who Punched Oscar Grant Should Resign

BART is investigating Tony Pirone, the officer that punched Oscar Grant in the face prior to Grant's shooting on New Years Eve. According to, U.C. Berkeley law school professor Franklin Zimring, the district attorney may not charge the officer who punched Grant because the DA "may need that officer's testimony" to prosecute Johannes Mehserle in the shooting of Grant.

UC Hastings Law School Professor, Peter Keane, adds that the video shows clear and convincing evidence that Pirone "commited a vicious physical assault unprovoked upon a citizen for absolutely no reason." Keane contends that the Pirone should be terminated and charged for civil rights violations and assault. BART board members are demanding that Pirone, BART's General Manager, Dorothy Dugga, and BART Police Chief Gary Gee also hand in their resignations.

BART board member, Tom Radulovich, who called for the resignation of Dugga, states that Dugga tarnished the image of BART by mishandling the investigation of the shooting. Perhaps a change in the administration can work to institute enhanced training modules to instruct officers on how to deal with the public non-violently. The Black Panther Party in Oakland is calling for transparent "training practices/facilities of police officers" to prevent assassinations at the hands of police officers from plaguing our streets.

Independent journalist, Sam Arbizo, has been funded by Spot.us, a non-profit organization for independent journalists, to film a video documentary on the Oakland community's response to the shooting.

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Comments

[grayforester]

03:19 PM on 01/28/2009

Editor, do you mean to say "the district attorney may not charge the officer" or did you mean to say the DA "might" not charge? What you published implies the DA will not be allowed to press charges.

[cobraxus]

12:05 AM on 01/28/2009

welcome to the police state.the msm knows who has their back.I wouldn't be surprised if they were blocking this story to keep their "bodyguards" happy.all of them are rolling buzzards and beggars to their own demise.

[augusteighteenth]

10:50 PM on 01/27/2009

Your the only one on Huffpo talking about this or anything related to police brutality. A woman in riverside county was shot 3 times by cops the other day...she was suicidal with no weapons...this is becoming an everyday thing with no media attn. Both officers in Grants case...need to be punished to the extent of their charges. I recently saw a mugshot with Johannes smirking....what the hell is he smiling for? Thank you for being its voice here on huffpo

[AnotherMcIntosh]

10:41 PM on 01/27/2009

What are the odds that this is the first and only time that this particular officer has done this?

[lungfish]

01:24 PM on 01/28/2009

Mesherele has a prior excessive force/abuse claim against him for bad behavior but the cop wasn't alone with that alleged assault, he had fellow officers with him. The police culture in the Bay area, particularly Oakland, is sick....... I have personnaly witnessed excessive force or unnecessarily abusive behavior by Oakland police, Bart Police, Richmond Police and SFPD. When they are out at night they turn into predators and are accountable to no-one... they serve and protect themselves....