On New Years in 2009, there was a call from someone on BART that said there was a fight that was about to happen. Quickly officers of the BART made sure to stop it in a station in Oakland. They detained about 20 passengers who were thought to be a part of the fight, one of them being 22-year-old Oscar Grant. Though witnesses say that he had nothing to do with the fight, officers were not hesitant to stop him and pin him down at the station.
There is video evidence suggesting that Grant was pleading to let him go because he didn't have anything to do with it. Witnesses say that he was asking the officers to not shoot him. Video evidence shows that while Grant was making these pleads, two officers were holding onto him trying to make him stop resisting. A third officer, Johannes Mehserle, was watching his fellow colleagues struggle with Grant and opted to reach for his gun and shot Grant in his back, ultimately killing him instantly.When this case was taken to trial, the jury found Mehserle guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Though involuntary manslaughter usually calls for a four-year sentence, Mehserle served 11 months in prison. The family of Oscar Grant was not happy with this verdict and opted to file for a civil lawsuit because they felt justice was not served for Oscar Grant and won over 2 million dollars.
Sources:
https://www.thoughtco.com/shooting-death-of-oscar-grant-721526
I believe that both Oscar Grant's death and the sentence served by the officer are extremely unjust. Witnesses claimed that Oscar had nothing to do with the fight that broke out and that Oscar was asking the officers not to shoot. Video evidence shows Oscar pleading to be let go and then getting shot, but the officer was hardly held accountable. This reminds me of Michael Brown's case in which an officer perceived a threat and fired their gun without reason. In both instances, a minority victim was killed due to an officer's racial bias with minimal consequences for the officer. For Micheal Brown, the officer who killed him wasn't sentenced to any time in prison. For Oscar Grant, the officer who killed him was only sentenced to 11 months of the typical 4 year sentence. Racial bias lead the officers to perceive a threat, ultimately taking the lives of these young men.
ReplyDeleteThis case is extremely disheartening, again we see an innocent black man killed by a white officer over something he didn't do. Even after begging and pleading the officer showed no mercy towards Oscar Grant. Oscar Grant This murder is an extreme misconduct of the justice system. Even without much evidence, I believe that the officer should've been charged with second-degree murder instead of involuntary manslaughter. I believe the officer should've been charged with second-degree murder because the officer was told by the other people on the bus that Oscar was not involved in the fight at all. The officer, at the time of the shooting, had a full understanding of Oscar's actions and killed him anyway. Even though the officer at fault was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, he was only charged with 11 months when the minimum sentence would be 4 years, this fact in itself is wrong of the justice system.
ReplyDeleteWhile this case is heart wrenching, I'm not surprised because Oscar Grant isn't the first one that doesn't receive justice for his death. Like Isha, this case reminds me of the Michael Brown case because it's clear that the jury sided with the person firing the shots. It's disappointing to see that this is still an issue that persists within today's society - 10 years later. There are movements, like Black Lives Matter, who are fighting for justice of those who have been wrongfully killed. I wonder if there is ever going to be real changes made within the criminal justice system, and if there is I hope it is soon.
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