News came this week that the U.S. Justice Department will review the case of a New Year's Day 2009 BART police shooting, following recent protests and a vocal outcry from Oakland, California's black community. The case involves the fatal shooting of an unarmed man, 22-year-old Oscar Grant, by former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle. Mehserle was convicted in State court this week of involuntary manslaughter, but many in the community say this charge falls short.
The shooting garnered national attention because there were at least six cellphone cameras on the BART train car to capture the event. However, in this new age where absolutely everyone has a camera, there can be drawbacks. Video footage of an event that is grainy, obscured, distant or from just one perspective becomes absolute truth. The ostensible reality of such raw footage dispels any doubts or questions observers may have, and when it is streamed a thousand times on the news each night, it simply becomes wallpaper.
In reality, when you think you're seeing everything, you're really seeing nothing. But if you peel away some layers, all of a sudden you're looking at the gun; peel back another layer and all of a sudden you can see the expression of horror on Mehserle's face; or Oscar Grant's desperate pleading. In the following video, I sought to add depth to the original interpretation of this tragic event, in order to reveal more of the story. If you remember the first grainy footage following the shooting, dispel the ingrained "YouTube truth" you may be harboring, so that you can look for what's new, what wasn't there before. This video is best (indeed, should only) be watched on Full Screen mode with good speakers or headphones.
And the cop murdered someone.
Period.
Should not have been murdered for it.
R.I.P. Oscar Grant!
Is this like Bush's torture lawyers?
Unfortunately, these changes have seemed to lead to some issues with, say, customer service and much to liberal use of the tazers. We've all seen videos of other events where they've been deployed far too easily and this is no exception. Though, in this case, it seems the officer may have made an even bigger mistake. Regardless of whether his cause is valid, I believe this should remind us of the issues facing our country in law enforcement, the power dynamic and differential, and hopefully we can find ways to improve our system.
Rest in peace, Oscar. Hopefully this act against you will at least serve to remind us of the problems and perhaps improve the world for those who come after.
No, what we need are very stiff laws for crimes committed under color of law. We need to stop the cops from investigating themselves. We need open access to cop performance and diciplinary records, just like any other "public servant". We need police oversight with actual power. The police need to return to being accountible public employees instead of protected gangs of violent people. "Officer" my backside. Low end thug is much closer to the truth.
That is WHY he was a threat!!
The only involuntary part in Mehserles actions was his inability to control his deadliest emotions with a gun on his hip.
Link to Bart Police home page: http://www.bart.gov/about/police/index.aspx
Link to Bart Police FAQs (OD_74.pdf and OD_75.pdf concern use of lethal force-links at bottom of page): http://www.bart.gov/about/police/faq.aspx
Also: Timeline: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Timeline-of-BART-shooting-incident-98073009.html
OD 74 lays things out quite clearly: use of lethal force is for defense, almost never for capture. Even drawing a weapon is subject to review (after the fact) by an overseeing sergeant. Also important: Mehserle's refusal to comply with an administrative investigation further complicated the BART Police Department's ability to effectively reach out to the greater community, and aid the criminal investigation. In other words, Mehserle cared more about his uniform than he did about the people he was paid to serve.
The police unions, agencies and PACs along with DAs spent a lot of time and money making sure leglislation that allowed public knowledge of cop on the job misbehavior. This knowledge is available for every other class of "public Servant". The hearing room filled up with cops and the legislators were threatned with focused opposition in the next election if the bill passes. Money was promised to help recind term limits as well. Guess what? The bill was killed in committee. It's almost impossible to get elected in California without cop endorcement. In the meantime, cops are committing every crime on the books and hiding behind administrative bunk and DAs and judges who look the other way. Internal affairs? The whitewash division of the agency. It's a sad commentary on our country that the voters like it this way. They feel safe don't you know; right up until it's their own kid laying dead in the street.
It really is time to insist
Are you kidding me? Almost none of the major statewide offices that PORAC endorsed were elected. Their main candidate, Alberto Torrico, was defeated in favor of known cop-hater Kamala Harris. Police unions (and most of organized labor) have lost a lot of their political clout in recent years.
I'm not sure what law you are taking about that got killed in committee, but in CA a Pitchess motion can result in the department turning over IA records in a criminal case.
You see a young man stand up -- foolishly.
You see the cops take him down.
You see a cop murder him in cold blood.
What else is needed for you to know ?
Whatever this person did in his past the cop did not know.
He would have done this to someone you in judgment would consider "innocent" and worthy of life.
"June 15: Three eye witnesses of the account testified that neither Grant nor the other suspects actively resisted the officers at any time. Each expressed disgust at the behavior from officers preceding the shooting that night."
What are some solutions to the problem of thugs being attracted to law enforcement, while the police departments have to fill the ranks?
Let's brainstorm some more. What are some answers?
The officer sends a BS apology about having to live with this the rest of his life, while still working on the force...that's no different than all the onlookers and let's not mention Oscar Grants's friends who had to witness this heinous act by someone who should not only lose his freedom but also his job.
On a different note, the use of tasers should be banned as they have been elsewhere because they are/were used a means of torture. The have lasting reprecussions on the nervous system and other organs.
AGAIN - the foolproof way to avoid police confrontations and mistakes that might be made in those confrontations is to NOT COMMIT CRIMES!