Commuters watch as police officer shoots young father dead

[faustus]

pretty fuct up

video is here: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=0OJTa9F2O14

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/commuters...1608578976.html

Horrified commuters watched as a US police officer shot an unarmed young father dead on a crowded train platform while another officer pinned him face down to the ground.

Dramatic mobile phone footage posted online shows the death of Oscar Grant, 22, after he was shot in the back by a transit police officer at a station in Oakland, California.

Hundreds of thousands of people have now viewed the footage on YouTube and television, fuelling a furious reaction as the officer, Johannes Mehserle, has not been charged with any offence.

Mr Mehserle has also refused to speak to internal police investigators about the shooting, amid suggestions he might have believed he was firing his stun gun instead of a real gun.

The shooting occurred in the early hours of New Year's Day, in front of dozens of train passengers returning home after New Year's Eve celebrations.

Local media reported that Mr Grant and a number of others were pulled off the train by police after reports of a fight.

Footage taken by a commuter shows Mr Grant and others on the ground on the platform as other commuters yelled angrily at police.

As two officers, including Mr Mehserle, held Mr Grant face down, Mr Mehserle suddenly stood up, apparently drew his gun and shot Mr Grant in the back.

The bullet went through Mr Grant's body, but rebounded off the pavement, piercing his lung and killing him, AP reported.

Seconds earlier, Mr Grant had "made a valiant effort ... by appealing to the officer's sense of humanity, [telling him] he had a four-year-old daughter", claims lodged by a lawyer say, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Mr Grant was handcuffed after being shot dead, the claims said.

Mr Grant worked as a butcher and was considered a "peacemaker" by his friends, the media reported.

His death provoked outrage, particularly as no action has been taken against Mr Mehserle.

Mr Mehserle, 27, was to meet internal police investigators last week to explain why he shot Mr Grant, but did not show up. Instead, his lawyer and union representative turned up and announced he was resigning from the police force.

Now that he is no longer employed by police, he can exercise his constitutional right not to speak to investigators. He has also refused to speak publicly.

Mr Grant's family has filed a $US25 million ($35.6 million) wrongful-death claim against the rail system and want Mr Mehserle to be criminally charged.

"They want justice, but they don't want any more violence," John Burris, an attorney for Mr Grant's family, said.

"That officer hasn't been prosecuted. That's why people don't have confidence in the system right now."

Alameda County District Attorney Tom Orloff has said he would probably decide within two weeks whether to file criminal charges.

However, Attorney-General Jerry Brown said on the weekend he was sending a high-ranking deputy to Mr Orloff's office to push the investigation along.

There have been riots in Oakland as residents expressed outrage over the shooting and an apparent lack of action.

Some Oakland residents have also alleged the shooting of Mr Grant, who was black, was racially motivated.

More than 100 people were arrested and about 300 businesses were damaged last week as demonstrators smashed shopfronts, set fire to cars and clashed with riot police.

As the investigation grinds on, some experts have suggested Mr Mehserle might have thought he was firing his stun gun rather than a pistol.

"If he was under stress, he would not be able to distinguish between a Taser and his firearm," Bruce Siddle, a use-of-force expert, said.

"You have video footage that seems to suggest that this officer made a tragic mistake."

But George Kirkham, a professor of criminology at the Florida State University who has also viewed footage, dismissed the theory.

"It's not believable that any officer can mix up a Taser and a firearm," said Mr Kirkham, who has examined almost 500 police shootings over the past 30 years.

"It's like looking for your steering wheel on the right side of your car rather than the left side."

Bill Dodd, who has known Mr Mehserle since he was a child, said he was a "gentle giant ... a very kind, caring and gentle person", the San Francisco Chronicle said.

[Chiral]

fuckin cunts..that really made my blood boil..really really angry about that..fuckin gun ho cunts man. Bring on the revolution..Viva la people....I'm so sick of that shit..and don't think an aussie cop wouldn't do it either...fuck man my son is a young teenager living over there and if I even get a whiff of him being beaten by a cop I'll be heading there to carve em up.

H.

[kenny]

Appalling, to say the least.

So many of these Americans defend gun ownership to the bone, but when the police themselves cant even use restraint with their weapons.... how can anybody trust the average person to??

I am reminded of the young African American who got cleaned up by about 10 police a while ago... I think he was going for his registration details or something, and they all just emptied their guns on him

No Police were charged after that one, If I recall correctly.

*shakes his head*

Edited January 12, 2009 by kenny

[_e_]

transit police always end up with the last few scraps of stale donuts.

every single one ive encountered has had a authority complex bigger then their chip on their shoulder.. and a gun to match it.

of all police i would have to say transit police are the worst.. they are given a low ranking job for a reason.

even if riot police and tactical response are hardcore and merciless, they are good at ther job and often have reason to act like assholes(i.e they or others are 'percieved; to be in danger)

[_e_]

p.s, can anyone actually justify the carrying of a lethal weapon by transit police?

extendable battons (i.e british cops), pepper spray, and training in interpersonal psychology seem to be more then any cop would ever need !

[Chiral]

Having lived in London for nine years in the 90's I was allways impressed how the police carried out their duties without a gun. A population of some 60 million crammed into a tiny country like England and no guns..says a lot really. Bobbies will just roll their eyes at you if they see you rolling a spliff at the bus stop or will in one case I remeber a lone Bobbie on the beat saw me and a mate pass each other some pills and looked at us and did a little corny dance and said..ahh you muckers of to rave then...get outta here before I nick you..we just smiled and did just that..why do American cops have to be so violent

My missus and I where dobbed in by some stupid old ladies who where mall walkers for smoking just inside a mall in Texas. The local police swooped on us like we where about to gun down innocent people..I was completely shit scared..we had dreads and was wearing overalls and paramilitary boots..but still the fucking wankers cuffed us and led us outside with such brute force. Lol..my missus at the time was livid and swore her head off at them in Spanish.. they made us empty our pockets and where told to face the police car and spread em..was totally unnecessary..FUCKWITS.

British cops rule compared to any other police force I've had dealings with. American cops are fuckwits..

H.

[Neoshaman]

and don't think an aussie cop wouldn't do it either...

H.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,2...675-663,00.html

yeah and they'll even shoot your dog here too.

But on a more serious note, these police officers need to be locked in a cage and only let out when the probability they will attack a real criminal is greater then 90% ii mean lets face it its obvious most don''t have a higher intelligence then an attack dog anyway.

haha and the comment he thought it was his stun gun and not his pistol like wtf , I imagine most people could tell the difference from a taser and a real gun blindfolded seriously how stupid are these perople they are recruiting to the police force although after seeing a Victorian police officers comments on the yahoo news boards who goes by the handle lilacz or some shit like that I'm actually highly concerned at the level of phsyc testing undertaken on police officers in this country go over and read a few posts the bitch is scary she needs to be institutionalised not in the police force.

[compost]

Having lived in London for nine years in the 90's I was allways impressed how the police carried out their duties without a gun. A population of some 60 million crammed into a tiny country like England and no guns..says a lot really. Bobbies will just roll their eyes at you if they see you rolling a spliff at the bus stop or will in one case I remeber a lone Bobbie on the beat saw me and a mate pass each other some pills and looked at us and did a little corny dance and said..ahh you muckers of to rave then...get outta here before I nick you..we just smiled and did just that..why do American cops have to be so violent

Don't give cops guns. Is so simple. Great in so many ways. Is the future.

[MindExpansion]

Don't give cops guns. Is so simple. Great in so many ways. Is the future

Well especially in a country where gun violence is still such a minor issue.

They can defend themselves with batons like in the UK where the gun situation is similar.

But this shit is just fucked up. At least the people rioted and showed their anger, not like here when that kid was tragically gunned down for wielding knives.

Peace

[Conan Troutman]

sickening stuff

dont take innocence getting shot quite like the greek tho do they those yankees

Edited January 13, 2009 by Conan Troutman

[gromit]

some good news.

Killer Cop Charged

[Chiral]

Sanity prevails..for once..but the damage has been done..fuckwit cop.

H.

[Rizla]

Had there been no riots and no internet, they would probably have given the cop leave, and said the guy tried to resist arrest, end of story. Can't help wondering if Obama's election has influenced this in a positive way, I can't remember the last time a US cop who shot a civilian was charged with murder.

[Chiral]

Had there been no riots and no internet, they would probably have given the cop leave, and said the guy tried to resist arrest, end of story. Can't help wondering if Obama's election has influenced this in a positive way, I can't remember the last time a US cop who shot a civilian was charged with murder.

HUH...!

So you are saying that even though hundreds of people withnessed this from the train and platform that just because a lot of others have seen it on footage via the net that their ideology is..oh well too many have seen this so we have to pursue this matter of murder...I don't think so my friend...what would the world be like if it counted on a certain number of witness's to be able to prosecute..1 is enough..and I'm sure the cop who was working the young man over with the shooter would have a conscious too.

I don't have access to police files in the states but I'd be horrified if what you are saying is even remotely true.

I'm actually very surprised there was not a huge violent demonstration after this incident...I know I would have joined in BIG TIME.

H.

Edited January 22, 2009 by Hunab Ku