Well, this is good news:
The BART police officer who fatally shot an unarmed man on an Oakland train platform and then refused to explain his actions to investigators was arrested Tuesday in Nevada on suspicion of murder, authorities said.
Johannes Mehserle, 27, of Lafayette was taken into custody in Douglas County, Nev., said Deputy Steve Velez of the Douglas County sheriff’s office. The arrest was also confirmed by David Chai, chief of staff to Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums.
Mehserle was arrested in the New Year’s Day shooting of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old supermarket worker from Hayward who was lying facedown after being pulled off a BART train by police investigating a fight. An Alameda County judge signed an arrest warrant alleging murder, and Mehserle surrendered without incident, authorities said.
Now let’s see if anything comes of it. And yes, you will have to excuse me for being cynical here.
I’m wondering if he will be anybody’s bitch while locked up????
I’ll be honest that I’m surprised any action was taken, and so quickly. I guess we’ll have to see how this plays out and hope for justice. Not that any of that will undo the damage done.
I pray to God something does. The worst. I have to hold to faith that 2009 IS that year. I still feel so horrible for that poor boy’s family. But thank goodness for technology. Or this would have been swept completely under the rug.
It creeps me right the hell out that it would take an obvious unprovoked execution in front of witnesses and recorded for posterity before a police officer would be arrested for murder.
And even then it took the authorities two weeks to get around to it.
After all these years of wondering how far they could push it, and just what it would take for an officer of the law to finally be held responsible for the crimes they commit, we have an inkling.
@thebewilderness: When I think about all of the unjustices that people (and not just cops) probably got away with before everybody had a video camera on their phones, I shudder.
Johannes Mehserle will be a free man in a few months. He was charged with murder. Guess what murder means. It means the DA has to prove intent. He has no evidence showing intent or that Johannes had any intention of killing Mr. Oscar the Thug. Unless the DA amends the charges for criminally negligent homicide that white boy will be a free man!
I guess I’m cynical right along with you as I am disgusted it took this long for an arrest. He should have been arrested that night or at the very least, the next day. This was no ‘accident.’
Living not far from Oakland, sadly I am able to witness the unrest that comes from this senseless killing.
I am glad they caught Grant’s killer, but there needs to be a reform in the police department, (NATIONWIDE).
The same people scheduled to protect us are killing us..sad
The Officer didn’t intend on shooting the guy. Had the victim cooperated, he’d probably be at home right now. Fact is, cops are human. They make mistakes. If you go with the program when contacted by the police, you probably won’t get shot. If you act foolish, clearly terrible incidents such as this may occur. The officer is not guilty of any crime. He made a terrible mistake which unfortunately resulted in the life of a man. Give cops a break… they’re not machines, they are human. Mistakes happen. It’s not unusual that an officer may consider using some type of force in an incident in central Oakland (it’s one of the most ghetto cities in America) In this case he probably intended on using his Taser. I give my condolences to the victim’s family, however I support Officer Mehserle through these tough times.
This is a reply for Trent. Hey Trent, let me ask you this, what if I was a cop and killed your son or daughter or maybe your mother or your father, would you be posting the same comment??? And then you find out that the killer is an Asian cop, or a Black cop, or a Latin cop, would you be calling it mistake???
Trent – I couldn’t agree with you more. Its very obvious he didn’t go to work that night with the intent to kill. Officers are human and make mistakes and if he had cooperated and respected the officers trying to do their job he would still be alive.
Joseph – a mistake is a mistake whether it be by a white/black/asian cop
Trent- Thanks for your post, I agree completely and couldn’t have said it better. I think people are quick to judge the officer, yet they do not have all the facts. This man needed all those officers to restrain him, he was a danger. He was a drug dealer who did not pay child support, and made poor decisions that put him in harms way every day.
Joseph- this incident involved a drug dealer who had no regard for the law or for the life of your children because he dealt drugs to them. You make it sound like the officer killed some poor blameless mother or child just sitting there. My family would never be shot by an officer because they don’t break the law. Aren’t you glad someone wants to enforce the law and protect your children? Yet you defend a drug dealer against an officer with no record of excessive force, who choose a career that would better the world? Why so quick to promote hate? Do you really know all the facts? Can you say for sure that this officer isn’t a great person involved in a tragic accident?
He is innocent of murder. you people are fucked.
@geo: Thanks for the enlightening commentary. Were would us, the fucked, be without your astute argumentative and rhetorical skills?
OG was a thug. Thank you BART Police for protecting us riders from such scum.