ex-officer Mehserle on trial for Oscar Grant murder - justice undone

And so it begins. Almost 6 months ago to the day, the year 2009 rang to life. At almost the same time Oscar Grant’s life came to a close with a sharp bang. That bang was a gunshot through his back and into his lung. Oscar Grant was lying on the ground, possibly handcuffed, with one police officer kneeling on his neck with another standing and having shot him.

This was the cause of riots in Oakland, California. This was the start of yet another cry for justice from the Black community across the nation (a cry the major news media ignored). And it was the target, along with another murder and shooting – all by police, of multiple posts and videos by me. And I’m not done yet.

On the 26th of May, the defense for former officer Mehserle has claimed that the officers at a BART station on January 1st feared for their lives and were receiving resistance from at least Oscar Grant among 4 men detained that night. One officer has stated that Grant was grabbing her arm shortly before being shot in the back. It was stated that Grant had to be forcibly made to sit down by officers, and that he was being restrained when he was shot in the back.

Oh, and the major point that everyone has waited for the defense to say: Ex-officer Mehserle thought he had his stun gun out when he shot Oscar Grant in the back while he lay on the ground, defenseless.

This is bullshit. Not unexpected but crap from start to end.

While I cannot comment on the actions of Grant or the other men that night from before video was available, I can comment on the video before and during the time he was shot. The video that the earliest news reports denied existed. Video that was available to the world, and I featured in my posts of the event.

Here are the facts as I saw on the video. Grant was not resisting officers. Grant was on the ground, restrained and under control of an officer who was on his neck. None of the other men being detained moved. There were some 5 or 6 officers on the scene. Not one officer made a move for their guns or stun guns. None were reaching for or had out their mace/pepper spray. While the situation was loud, not one officer was moved against with aggression from the crowd on the scene. Officers did try to confiscate videos being taken of the event.

Most important is officer Mehserle. After he stands, he is alone from all other groups and officers. He takes out his gun, which is not near his stun gun, just because of this supposed occurrence. He aims for about 2 or 3 seconds, then fires.

So the actual visual record, from at least 3 video recordings of this event, all show the same thing. The officers did not have to fear for their lives. They may have been uncomfortable, but they were in no apparent danger. They were outnumbered, but they also were in force and not mobbed by a crowd. None felt the situation to be so precarious as to arm themselves.

Mehserle is the only officer to become armed. He took his time, and acted with purpose. He was seemingly in full control and was unencumbered nor rushed. He is not a rookie, and was supposedly well trained.

Grant was lying on the ground. His hands are behind his back, likely restrained. Which means this was cold-blooded murder.

The news media will likely not cover this story, just as it did not cover the initial event. There will probably be no mention of this on the national cable networks. The few stations that do cover this trial will likely take the stance that the police offered immediately after the shooting. That it was a tragic accident. The actual videos of what happened will likely not be mentioned. And the likes of Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson will remain absolutely silent.

In fact, other than a quote from the family of Grant, the existence of a video was barely mentioned in the news report by the San Fransisco Chronicle

So the average American, who probably never heard of this murder, and don’t know that video evidence of the actual shooting exists, will think that an officer in fear of his life accidentally shot a kid that was resisting arrest. Which is a lie.

And I’ll even say more on that. It’s a lie because officer Mehserle would not have quit the police force rather than go thru an internal investigation of the shooting if it was an accident. Mehserle would not have left the state prior to charges being placed against him (well over a month after the fact). News organizations would not have omitted the existence of multiple videos of the event, nor would the police have denied all but one source of video (which conveniently had the worst view of the shooting). This is a set-up. It is the means by which a former cop is being protected from the truth of his actions.

Again I tell you that I have covered this story in detail. You can see all my posts at http://blogsearch.google.com/?bl_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackentertainmentblog.com%2F&ui=blg&as_q=grant

True justice demands that Mehserle gets the death penalty. Justice would be his imprisonment for life, and the awarding of all his possessions and funds to the Grant family (in particular to Grant’s daughter that will never see him again). But this is America. Mehserle was a police officer who killed a young Black man. Odds are that Mehserle will walk away from this with barely community service.

And people wonder why African Americans are so angry at the police and the legal system. Just imagine the press coverage, and speed this would be happening at – not to mention the ultimate outcome – if this was a Black cop that killed a young White father while he was lying on the ground defenseless. If you can imagine that, you cannot compare it to this mockery. That’s why we are angry.

But I will continue to follow this, even as the major media avoids it like the televised plague.