Sigh, are the stewards of social justice on the loose again?
Posted on 11/05/2010 7:37:44 PM PDT by thecodont
Oakland officials said they are ready if things get unruly Friday night in the wake of what some protesters have called the lenient sentencing of a former BART police officer for the fatal shooting of an unarmed man.
Johannes Mehserle, 28, was sentenced Friday by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge to two years in prison for the shooting of Oscar J. Grant III on an Oakland train platform in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2009.
Mehserle, who is white, contended that he mistakenly used his firearm instead of an electric Taser weapon when he shot Grant, who was black. But prosecutors argued at his trial that Mehserle meant to reach for his handgun as he tried to handcuff an unresisting Grant, who was lying face-down on the platform floor.
At an early afternoon briefing, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums said it is important "that we look to the family to determine whether the standard of justice has been met" because they have lost the most and that it was clear that Grant’s family felt "disappointment," "great pain" and "extraordinary hurt."
"One can draw from that that the test of justice in their mind's eye was not met," Dellums said. "I want you to know that I as a human being understand that. I understand the anger. I understand the pain. I understand the hurt. I understand the disappointment. One cannot live here for nearly 75 years as I have and not understand that."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
Sigh, are the stewards of social justice on the loose again?
Let the riots begin.
Win/Win situation here.
Oakland. Violence. Burning. Again.
I saw a short clip of the crowd today.
White middle class out of town kids being led in a chant by a “comunity organizer”.
I imagine the protesters will threaten to burn their own homes.
Mehserle should have been locked up for 20 years not two years.
Confused his gun for a taser?
Nonsense.
I have had a dislike for the term "community organizer" for a number of years based on meeting some representatives from that field, but now I HATE it!
I wish I could kill somebody, and only serve 2 years.
I’d call that a bargain
The best I ever had
The best I ever had
The Who.
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.