The facebook link is taking me to my home page. Is there a group name or an event that I can search?

um. some of us don't have facebook.

Interesting how this "non-violence" thing disproportionately benefits the cops involved.

I sent this on to my Bay Area contacts and will be contacting the BART director today.

This is unbelievable.

Whenever police shoot civilians I try to reserve judgment until all the details come out. I understand that when things get chaotic, cops are human and may feel a sense of danger that we can't understand viewing the situation in hindsight. But there is absolutely no way this shooting can be justified... none. If any one of us had shot a police officer in the same situation we would have spent the last several days between an interrogation room and jail cell, very likely being illegally abused by the officer's comrades. Nearly a week after a man was killed BART officers have not even had to give an account of what happened nor have they even identified the officer that shot a man in the back (It's supposedly Johannes Mehserle). He not only gets to go home to his family during the investigation, he is getting paid.

While technology is always a double-edged sword, it's moments like these that make me thankful for the prevalence of recording devices. How often do you think situations like this have happened without witnesses (or even with witnesses who are trumped by police testimony) where a weapon is planted on the victim to make sure the inquiries into the shooting never gets too far. This time I feel fairly certain we will see a conviction, although it will likely be a lesser manslaughter charge. But how often do police officers not only murder civilians (and let's be honest, they are almost always young men of color) but paint them as the instigators.

There was a reason why we used to call the cops, "pigs" back in the 1960s.

Not only am I sick and tired of these murders of unarmed coloured people at the hands of heavy-handed and hot-headed cops but that the media, in all the melle remains heavily biased in the officers' favour every time. I've read newspaper articles, watched news broadcasts and read magazines and in every single case the term used to describe the Murder is 'fatally shot.' Let me repeat that whitewashing again, 'fatally shot.' How about 'killed'? Meanwhile if a black man 'fatally shoots' someone it is always called a 'murder' and sometimes anchored by such phrases as 'in cold blood' which further demonizes an entire racial or ethic population. This is the exact same type of reporting we saw during katrina when black people 'looted' while white people 'looked for supplies.' There needs to be drastic change in the way our cops 'police' but there also needs to be a big change in how our news agencies 'report.' Stop the spinning and gives everyone a fair shake regardless of their social standing, occupation and most importantly COLOUR! It seems like all the hope a nation could muster was not enough to change the course of history of the nation of violence that is the United States.

erratum: Oscar Grant was not handcuffed when he was shot.

I understand the officers tried to collect phones/cameras from everyone who witnessed the event... I wonder how differently the "facts" of this incident would have come out were they successful in gathering all recording devices.

Shudder to think.

I can't believe that hateful vitriol and victim blaming that is going on the story on the SF chronicle. People going off about how the thug deserved it; because good people don't get themselves involved with thuggish friends; he should have been home with his daughter and not out; et al.

It was new years friggin' eve! When I was younger, I always babysat so parents could go out and party. Now that I'm older, my friends leave their kids with babysitters to go out that night. Why is going out and having friends who - may or may not have, in this situation - gotten a little rowdy after a night of drinks, grounds for an execution? Those videos speak louder than words...

Update:
01.07.2009
BART Police officer involved in fatal shooting resigns
Scheduled to meet with BART police investigators today, the BART Police officer involved in the tragic shooting New Year’s Day at Fruitvale Station submitted his resignation effective immediately.

On Monday, the officer’s attorney postponed a meeting that had been scheduled by BART investigators for Tuesday and sought to defer the meeting until next week. BART investigators declined the delay and scheduled a meeting with the officer for this morning.

At this morning’s scheduled meeting, the officer’s attorney and his union representative submitted his resignation letter. The officer was not present.

BART investigators have urged the officer to meet and cooperate with the transit agency’s investigation into the fatal shooting. BART Police investigators have notified the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office of the resignation and this development. The District Attorney’s office is conducting an independent probe of the January 1, 2009 shooting.

The BART Police investigation will continue to seek and examine all available evidence and will continue its full cooperation with the ongoing independent investigation by the District Attorney.

"This shooting is a tragic event in every respect for all involved," BART General Manager Dorothy Dugger said. "We recognize that the family and friends of Oscar Grant are in mourning and we extend our condolences."

The best part is that the DA is thinking about involuntary manslaughter-what the FUCK? He stepped back and unholstered his gun and pulled the trigger. MANSLAUGHTER? With another cop kneeling on the guy's neck? Shooting him in the BACK? This is so messed up.
Where is Obama's comment on this? Or our freakin' lame duck president? Whatever this turns out to be, it looks like a cold blooded murder, and it's national news, because this is not what cops are for.

Update: RIOTS (damn skipping there are riots!)

From the SF Gate (1.7.09, 19:40 PST)
Protests over BART shooting turn violent

A protest over the fatal shooting by a BART police officer of an unarmed man mushroomed into a violent confrontation tonight, with a faction of protesters smashing a police car and blocking streets in downtown Oakland.
The protest started peacefully shortly after 3 p.m. at the Fruitvale Station in Oakland, where BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle shot 22-year-old Oscar Grant of Hayward to death early New Year's Day. BART shut down the station well into the evening commute, although the demonstration there was peaceful.

However, shortly after nightfall, a group of roughly 200 protesters split off and head toward downtown Oakland, prompting the transit agency to close the Lake Merritt station.

Oakland Police Officer Michael Cardoza parked his car across the intersection of Eighth and Madison streets, to prevent traffic from flowing toward Broadway and into the protest. But he told The Chronicle that a group of 30 to 40 protesters quickly surrounded his car and started smashing it with bottles and rocks.

Cardoza jumped out of the car and said some protesters tried to set the car on fire, while others jumped on top of the hood - incidents repeatedly shown on television. Cardoza said the protesters "were trying to entice us into doing something."

A group of protesters also set a trash bin aflame, moving it adjacent to the police car.

Police threw tear gas into the group to disperse it, Sgt. Mark MacAulay said. There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests.

"When you get that mob mentality, it can be dangerous," MacAulay said.

Other protesters marched on BART's 12th Street Station about 7 p.m., prompting the transit agency to close the downtown hub station even as it was reopening the Lake Merritt and Fruitvale stations.

Protesters blocked the intersection of 14th and Broadway, near the downtown BART station entrance. As police put on helmets and gas masks and stood in a line formation, protesters held signs that read, "Your idea of justice?" and "Jail Killer Cops." Some protesters wore masks over their faces as they yelled at police.

One man lay in the intersection with his face down and his hands behind his back - seemingly evoking the position that Grant was in when he was shot.

E-mail the writers at dbulwa@sfchronicle.com, cburress@sfchronicle.com and mkuruvila@sfchronicle.com.

link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/07/MN2N155CN1.DTL&tsp=1

Thanks for sharing this. On my way home tonight I was listening to the community radio station and they had on Oscar's cousin who explained what happened, I was overjoyed to see this on feministing and have shared videos of this with all of my activist contacts, as well as vlogging about it on youtube. I sincerely believe that we can create awareness around this particular case and help bring about some serious change in the management of police and how they relate to the communities they serve in.
We need civilian police review boards and elections of police officers who are to serve in our communities. This is way to pervasive of an issue in the U.S.

WOW

I am deeply disturbed. First I can't believe it. I was out of the country and didn't hear about it until now. At first I thought they were going to beat him up and I was already outraged. Second, since I came back I haven't heard it once in the news. No updates no references. NUTS! However I know both Obama and Bush wore blue ties, while Carter and Clinton chose red ties in a presidential meeting. I also know the lunch menu of Sasha and Malia's school menu and saw pictures of them going to class.

WTF

Online organizing has been hampered. The local news station websites (KTVU for example)has disabled any blogging about the killing. If you search "Oscar Grant" online you see a confusing list of non-blogging websites. I have created a non-censored blog for anybody to leave opinions. The blog was created for the only purpose to express your opinions about the killing. Hopefully the blog is useful and gets lots of comments. Tell your family and friends about the blog. Let's organize our thoughts!

Go to: http://justiceforoscar.blogspot.com/

Holy fucking shit!!!

Out numbered and executed.

That poor family, to lose someone this way. They have probably seen this, seen their family member and friend executed. God bless the person that had the brains to pull out a camera phone and record this that the truth of what happened is clear.

when i saw this i was outraged. I feel sorry for this family so much. they need to be prosecuted to the max.

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