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Peaceful protests devolved into riots, and 78 people were arrested in Oakland on Thursday. The protest began in response to the shooting death of Oscar Grant by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer Johannes Mehserle.
Grant was 22 years old and a father when he was shot and killed on New Years Day in 2009 in a BART train station. Police had been called, reportedly due to fights and public disturbances around the trains, and took several people off. Video from witnesses to the incident showed another BART officer kneeling on Grant’s back, when Mehserle drew his side arm and shot. Mehserle was arrested two weeks later in Nevada.
Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, meaning that the jury did not believe he intended to kill Grant, but acted so recklessly he showed a disregard for Grant’s life. While it is incredibly uncommon for an on duty police officer to be convicted for a shooting, many were upset that Mehserle was not charged with murder. The crimes he was convicted of carry a penalty of between five to 14 years in prison.
The Alameda County District Attorney, Nancy O’Malley, expressed disappointment that Mehserle was not convicted of murder at a press conference in Oakland following the trial.
The shooting of Grant, an African American, was seen by some as further discrimination by the BART police. The jury that convicted Mehserle, which found him not guilty of second degree murder, had no members who self identified as black.
The riot in response to the verdict took place largely after 8:30 pm in downtown Oakland. Rioters were reported to have graffitied the phrases “Kill all cops!” “Roit for Oscar!” and “Say no to work, yes to looting!” on buildings.
The riots centered around city hall, though numerous businesses were looted and vandalized, and some fires set.
