BART Police Officers Tony Pirone (left) and Johannes Mehserle (right)
As you may have already read, there's been some updates in the Oscar Grant shooting case. This will likely be the last I post about this case for a while, I think regular readers are a bit annoyed that I've devoted so many posts to this case, and I apologize for that.
Mehserle Granted Bail
The BART officer who shot Grant in the back, Johannes Mehserle, was allowed to be released on $3 million bail today by a skeptical judge who indicated he felt the argument advanced by Mehserle's defense attorney didn't match with video evidence or previously released information, but that his hands were tied as to whether or not Mehserle could get out on bail.
I'm tempted to do a comparison between the defense's argument and the available video evidence because it doesn't seem to kosher to me either, but I don't think anyone wants to read more analysis from me.
Trust Fund Established For Oscar Grant's Daughter
A trust fund has been set up for Oscar Grant's daughter, Tatiana. According to witnesses Grant's daughter was top-most in his mind that night has he plead with officers not to shoot him because he had a young daughter at home... so, I think it would be his wish that people do something positive for his daughter in his memory. For those wishing to donate the fund is
Tatiana Grant Trust Fund, account number 3879027641
Wells Fargo Bank
950 Southland Drive
Hayward, CA, 94545
BART Chief Urges His Officers To Give Donations To Mehserle
Of course, while the community supports the victim, officers are supporting the man who shot Oscar Grant instead. Details about a memo given to BART officers from the BART chief of police tells officers how they can put money in Mehserle's jail account so he can get goodies from the jail commissary during his stay there. One would think that officers would want information about how to give donations to the daughter of the man they needlessly shot to death, but apparently one would be mistaken.
Charges Dropped Against Man Who Claimed Mehserle Beat Him
Charges have been dropped against a man who came forward to complain that Mehserle had attacked him and then arrested him for resisting arrest without a supporting charge in December. BART officials admit that the man, Kenneth Carrethers, actually did try to file a complaint with them that might have tipped them off to Mehserle's possible anger management issues, but that the person who takes complaints was on vacation... No wonder their investigation was so flawed, apparently there's only one person there who investigates misconduct.
SF Chronicle Says BART Investigation Was Flawed From The Start
Giving some insight to the BART internal investigation of the Oscar Grant shooting through unnamed sources, it appears as though BART officers at the scene may have attempted to cover up the shooting death of Oscar Grant from the start when they sent a train load of witnesses away and then didn't notify supervisors that there was an officer-involved shooting at the platform.
This would explain why none of the witnesses BART chose to talk to had mentioned Pirone punching Grant despite a video that clearly shows that punch and the crowd's outraged reaction to that punch, which would indicate that there were plenty of people who saw Pirone attack Grant before he was arrested for "resisting" and then shot after Pirone had pinned him in a way that prevented him from complying with demands to put both of his arms behind his back, as my analysis of the video argued on 01/11/09.
No comments:
Post a Comment