Revolution #237, June 26, 2011
Oakland Protest Against Release of Killer Cop Mehserle
On June 13, Johannes Mehserle, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) cop who shot and killed Oscar Grant at point-blank range in Oakland, Calif., was released from jail in L.A. Mehserle killed Oscar Grant on New Year’s Day 2009. Prosecutors brought charges against Mehserle only after courageous exposure by people who recorded the killing on their cell phones, and determined protests in Oakland and beyond. His trial, which resulted in a conviction only for involuntary manslaughter and a two-year sentence, was a slap on the wrist. And on top of all that, Mehserle served only 11 months—less than half of his two-year sentence. In response to Mehserle’s early release, hundreds of outraged protesters gathered at the Fruitvale BART station where Oscar Grant was murdered, and marched to downtown Oakland.
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