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Re: Ex-cop charged with murder in Calif. shooting
OAKLAND, Calif. - A former transit police officer has been charged with murder for the fatal shooting of an unarmed and allegedly restrained black man in a racially charged case that has outraged residents and community leaders and sparked violent street protests.
Newly released court documents allege that Johannes Mehserle, who was charged Tuesday, shot 22-year-old Oscar Grant while Grant had his hands behind his back and another officer was kneeling on his neck.
Meanwhile, about 50 people were evacuated from their homes after Mehserle's parents found two suspicious packages on their porch Wednesday evening, the Napa County Sheriff's department said.
Bomb squad officers evacuated the neighborhood while trying to determine the contents of the packages. When authorities could not determine what was inside, they destroyed them. The residents were then allowed to return home.
Mehserle and his family have received death threats since the New Year's Day shooting.
Alameda County District Attorney Tom Orloff made the rare decision to file a murder charge against a police officer for an on-duty incident.
"At this point, what I feel the evidence indicates, is an unlawful killing done by an intentional act and from the evidence we have there's nothing that would mitigate that to something lower than a murder," Orloff said at a news conference. He said he would not speculate on whether the charge would end up being first-degree murder or second-degree murder.
Caught on camera
Witnesses said Grant was lying face down on a train platform at a station in Oakland when the 27-year-old white officer shot him in the back. Grant and others had been pulled off a train after reports of fighting, as New Year's Eve revelers were shuttling home after midnight.
Allegations that Grant's hands were behind his back and another officer was kneeling on him were contained in an Oakland police officer's request to issue an arrest warrant. It said it appeared from cell phone video that "Mehserle shot and killed Oscar Grant while Grant was restrained and unarmed."
The shooting, captured on cell phone cameras and widely viewed on the Internet, has inflamed long-running tensions in Oakland between law enforcement authorities and many African-American residents.
Violent protests
Protesters have taken to the streets calling for the prosecution of Mehserle, with one rally last week spiraling into violence that resulted in more than 100 arrests and damage to dozens of businesses.
More than a thousand demonstrators again gathered Wednesday, outside Oakland City Hall. They listened to preachers, community activists and others who urged a peaceful demonstration and demanded justice for Grant. Some protesters wore "Don't Shoot" signs on their backs and held signs that said, "Silence the Violence."
The protest was mostly peaceful before a small group went on a window-breaking rampage through downtown, smashing windows at several businesses and about 30 cars. Eighteen people were arrested, mostly for vandalism, Oakland police spokesman Jeff Thomason said.
Surrendered in Lake Tahoe
Mehserle surrendered without incident Tuesday at a family friend's house in an upscale neighborhood on the east shore of Lake Tahoe in Douglas County, Nevada, law enforcement officials said.
During a brief court appearance in Minden, Nevada, on Wednesday, he waived extradition and was returned to California to face charges. His lawyer, Christopher Miller, said his client had been in Nevada for a few days to get away from the pressures of what was happening in the Bay Area, and there was no effort to avoid arrest.
Mehserle could be arraigned as early as Thursday, Miller said.
Michael Rains, a former police officer who has represented cops as a lawyer since 1979, called such a charge "extremely rare."
Re: Ex-cop charged with murder in Calif. shooting
Yeah, I meant to post something about this last week. It truely is horrible, although I believe it was an accident & not malicious or brutality. I really think he accidentally pulled the trigger. Although, there was no need to pull a gun. There wasn't even a need to pull out a taser either.
The cop should just plead guilty & try to work out an involuntary manslaughter case, or manslaughter. Get something like 3 years if possible. He's doing himself no favors if he pleads Not Guilty. I'm glad this was caught on video, otherwise alot of us (myself included) would have just assumed a fight broke out, & the cop needed to keep him under control & fire for self defense or a warning shot went awry.
- Randall Flagg
- Rep: 139
Re: Ex-cop charged with murder in Calif. shooting
The Cop is a dead man. Regardless of whether this was an accident or not, he'll be a cop in prison. Unless he plans on staying in solitary confinement for all his time, he's done. Guess he better snuggle up to the nazi family in the other threat to get protection while inside. 
Though is most instances I side with the cops. No one knows how the victim was behaving before he was taken down. But the cop has a responsibility to society to use appropriate force and anot abuse his position. He apparently did that in some capacity and should be punished accordingly.
Re: Ex-cop charged with murder in Calif. shooting
No one knows how the victim was behaving before he was taken down. But the cop has a responsibility to society to use appropriate force and anot abuse his position. He apparently did that in some capacity and should be punished accordingly.
???
Did you see the video of it on youtube?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXW59Nx1loU
There's a few other clips from other peoples cameras too
- Randall Flagg
- Rep: 139
Re: Ex-cop charged with murder in Calif. shooting
No I didn't see the video. You tube is a blocked website and I don't have the bandwidth or patience to go there on my personal computer.
Re: Ex-cop charged with murder in Calif. shooting
The Cop is a dead man. Regardless of whether this was an accident or not, he'll be a cop in prison. Unless he plans on staying in solitary confinement for all his time, he's done. Guess he better snuggle up to the nazi family in the other threat to get protection while inside.
Though is most instances I side with the cops. No one knows how the victim was behaving before he was taken down. But the cop has a responsibility to society to use appropriate force and anot abuse his position. He apparently did that in some capacity and should be punished accordingly.
Actually former cops are isolated from general population in prison.
Same for people who commit financial crimes too.
- Randall Flagg
- Rep: 139
Re: Ex-cop charged with murder in Calif. shooting
Randall Flagg wrote:The Cop is a dead man. Regardless of whether this was an accident or not, he'll be a cop in prison. Unless he plans on staying in solitary confinement for all his time, he's done. Guess he better snuggle up to the nazi family in the other threat to get protection while inside.
Though is most instances I side with the cops. No one knows how the victim was behaving before he was taken down. But the cop has a responsibility to society to use appropriate force and anot abuse his position. He apparently did that in some capacity and should be punished accordingly.
Actually former cops are isolated from general population in prison.
Same for people who commit financial crimes too.
Actually I think that depends what state you're in. My father is the superintendent for a prison in West Virginia (I know, make fun all you want) which is primarily focused on special protection inmates. Most of the inmates are pedophiles and rapist, thought WV has kind of gone away from segregating people like that. There are cops and former prison guards in the population (one nearly killed my father in a dispute four years ago). Not the best source of information, but I also recall on The Shield when they were going to send Lem to prison they were worried about him being killed in the general population. Again, not exactly a credible source, but certainly something to consider.
Re: Ex-cop charged with murder in Calif. shooting
Same for people who commit financial crimes too.
Funny, I just caught a bit of Office Space earlier this morning:
"we're not going to white-collar resort prison. No, no, no. We're going to federal POUND ME IN THE ASS prison. "
RF the video is beyond anything Rodney King & all. The 3 suspects are sitting against the wall, pretty well retained. The one guy (who gets killed) does seem to be nervous & one point they say he is pleaded "Look, take it easy ok, I have a 2 year old daughter", this is before the gun is pulled. My guess is he just didn't want to get arrested, goto jail overnight, pay a $500 fine etc. NEVER in his wildest dreams could he envision it would go the way it did. Anyway, the cops take him, and put him down face first, with one cop knee to his neck. The other cop, standing, pulls out his gun, quickly, as soon as he points it, a shot goes off. The whole thing happens in an instant, all in one motion, with the suspect on the ground putting up NO fight whatsoever. The other cop stands up, and are completely taken aback by it all. About 10 or 15 people are seen on the train watching, recording, and shocked by it all as well.
Re: Ex-cop charged with murder in Calif. shooting
I can't wrap my mind around it. It definitely looks like an accident, but why the hell is the gun taken out in the first place? The only people acting out are the cops. There is simply no justification for it, not even understandable.
So even though it's an accident I sense something more here. The whole thing is just surreal.
