In Oakland, California, in the early hours of January 1st of this year, while Bay Area Rapid Transit passenger Oscar Grant III lay face-down on a BART platform with another officer's knee on his shoulder, BART police officer Johannes Mehserle drew his service weapon and shot Oscar Grant in the back, execution-style. This type of killing of an unarmed, young African American man by police is all too common in America. L.A. police are reported to have killed 310 people in the last ten years. Not surprisingly, the corporate media has done a terrible job reporting on the various hearings, generally parroting defense motions and testimony of BART cops verbatim with little to no critical analysis or reporting on evidence that refutes defense claims. Police accountability and media activists are currently organizing to ensure that the community is informed of the trial's proceedings and that justice is achieved for Oscar Grant.
From the newswire: Southern California: First Cop on Trial for Murder in History of State Is Headed Your Way by dave id
From the calendar: Planning meeting for Justice for Oscar Grant 5:00 Sunday, January 3, 2010 at Chuco's Justice Center | |
Johannes Mehserle murder trial begins 8:30 AM Friday, January 8, 2010 at Los Angeles County Superior Court
UPDATE: Report Back: Organizing Meeting for Oscar Grant Justice Coalition by Michael Novick
Trial of Cop for the Murder of Oscar Grant to Begin