Posted on 06/13/2011 9:04:09 AM PDT by SmithL
Former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle was released from a Los Angeles jail early today after completing his time for involuntary manslaughter for fatally shooting an unarmed passenger on New Year's Day 2009.
E-mail and phone notifications made at 12:01 a.m. today said Mehserle had been released, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's online inmate locator also said he had been released as of that time.
Officials have declined to discuss specifics about Mehserle's release.
Mehserle, 29, was sentenced to two years for shooting Oscar Grant in the back while the 22-year-old Hayward man lay face down on the platform at Oakland's Fruitvale BART Station after being pulled from a train.
Mehserle has been imprisoned in Los Angeles County Jail since being convicted July 8,
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
fyi
In what way was it “involuntary”?
Mehserle was struggling to subdue the deceased during a riot at a BART station.
Grant was shot in the lower back during the struggle, and the wound was a through-and-through and not fatal - until the round ricocheted off the concrete platform beneath Grant into Grant's lung, killing him.
I think he thought he had his taser in hand, not hid gun.
When it goes off you can the surprise expression.
Sucky story all around.
I feel for the family but can see how it happened.
It was involuntary because the jury believed that his intent was not to fire a fatal shot - he gave Grant a flesh wound despite being close enough to have easily blown Grant’s brains out.
If you are drunk and starting fights on a subway platform in the wee hours of the morning, all bets are off.
Oh that’s true.
Still a regrettable circumstance for his death.
To be honest, I’m relieved to see that folks here on the board are starting to see the situation reasonably. At the onset of the story, there were a lot of posters on several of the FR BART shooting threads that seemed to believe that Mehserle INTENTIONALLY shot Grant in front of all those witnesses. This was clearly a catastrophic mistake and not murder.
He completed his sentence as required by CDOC.
Mehserle has been imprisoned in Los Angeles County Jail since being convicted July 8. He was eligible for release with credit for time served before his trial and what is known as “good time” credit: one day for every day spent behind bars.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/13/BAIJ1JT7CV.DTL#ixzz1PAoBbE5o
Wrong! It was “clearly” thrid degree murder, and Meserle should have been executed for committing it under color of law
Bull puckey!
He waited until the other cop had Grant under control, stood, drew his weapon, and fired.
A cop confusing his taser for his pistol is about as plausible as you boinking someone else’s wife by “mistake.”
On New Years?
I looked in the California Penal Code and could find no offense labeled “third Degree Murder”. C0ould you direct me to where that would be? I found first degree and second degree.
Thanks.
(2) Whether it is New Year's, St. Patrick's, Cinco de Mayo or Groundhog Day, there is no exception to the rule of it being a bad idea to drunkenly start fights on the subway.
Since when do you get executed for “third degree murder”, particularly in California?
Unless they're zombies, I'm not seeing the struggle.
I saw the film. That’s all i need to make my own determination. .
Now i know why the residents riot.
As for your doctrinaire dismissal...I agree. Cold blooded murder is inexcusable on any occassion, but drinking on New Years IS excusable.
You don’t.
Mores the pity. I see Mehserle as nothing but a domestic version of Nick Berg’s killer.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.