Posted on 01/11/2009 9:41:00 AM PST by SmithL
Attorney General Jerry Brown, concerned about the pace of the investigation into a BART police officer's fatal shooting of an unarmed man early New Year's Day, said Saturday that he is sending an observer to the Alameda County district attorney's office to encourage prompt action.
"The wheels of justice cannot grind so slowly that it appears that justice is not being served," Brown said at a news conference in his Oakland office after meeting with leaders of the NAACP, who called for criminal charges. While declining to criticize District Attorney Tom Orloff, Brown said he's not sure why Orloff needs two weeks to decide whether to prosecute the officer.
Also on Saturday, the union that represents the Bay Area Rapid Transit system's 296 police officers and other personnel said it supports the current investigations by BART and the prosecutor's office into police conduct in the death of Oscar Grant at BART's Fruitvale Station in Oakland.
"We have been working with the Alameda County district attorney's office, BART management and the Oakland Police Department to ensure that all of the facts are revealed in an expeditious and transparent manner," Jesse Sekhon, president of the BART Police Officers Association, said in a statement. He offered condolences to Grant's family and friends.
Grant, 22, of Hayward, was shot in the back while lying facedown on the Fruitvale Station platform at about 2:15 a.m. on Jan. 1. He was one of a group of young men taken into custody by BART police at the station after a fight on a train from San Francisco.
Johannes Mehserle, 27, the officer who fired the shot, quit his job Wednesday, the day he was scheduled to be questioned by BART investigators, who could have ordered him to answer or face disciplinary action.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
It’s a good thing that Jerry Brown cleaned up Oakland while Mayor.
It’s a good thing that Moonbeam cleaned up California while Governor.
I’ve watched the video and I agree with Brown. It is “horrifying ... extremely disturbing.” These cops pulled some lowlife thugs off the train and had to stand there while a crowd littered with other lowlifes hooted and hollered. Sadly, if the shooting was an accident, it won’t matter. It’s almost guaranteed the cop is gonna be prosecuted- and convicted.
Instead of a defendant’s guarantee of a “jury of one’s peers”, the prosecutors will use the “Rodney King” standard- a jury of the victim’s peers.
The officer pulled his gun, pointed it at the guy, and then pulled the trigger. That was no accident.
Maybe the cop should leave the country and seek political asylum.
It was a very tense situation. The punk was not being cooperative, but the cop showed no anger and didn’t appear to be mistreating the kid. The cop acted very calmly. It is definitely possible he thought he was shooting him with his Taser. There was a mob milling about with camera phones. Unless this cop was a stone cold killer or a complete moron, it’s certainly possible it was an accident.
What makes them 'lowlifes'? The fact that they took video and then released it when the cops lied? The fact that they ride public transit? The fact that their skin is darker than yours? Could you expound just a bit?
I confess, I’m basing my post on the news, videos and life experience. The lowlifes were taken off the train for fighting. Watch the extended video and you’ll hear the other lowlifes milling about hooting and hollering. I ride public transit in a major city and, believe me, there are plenty of punks on the el- and there’s nothing I like better than cops dragging them off the train. As for race, you’re the one who brought it up.
No one else calls it the "El"
You know your el stops. I haven’t tested the platform since they renovated the station but, considering the way it’s laid out, I have a feeling Belmont has retained it’s title.
Well, lets turn it around a bit. What if a group of black officiers, representing federal authority patrolled a part of rural white America. And they subdued a white male youth. And in a part of town that is typically poor. And then that black officier pulled out a gun and casually shot the person in the back.
What do you think the sentiment would be? Wouldn't the onlookers expect justice? Regardless if it was an accident? And if that black officer was acquitted (even if it was an accident), wouldn't the white community be angry and accuse the system of modern day political correctness?
Its the same with these folks in Oakland, except they'll use the word "racism". In rural America, they'll use the world "politically correct". Either term, it's the same sentiment.
It doesn’t matter where he goes or what he does, ... He’ll Always be GOVERNOR MOONBEAM!!
and every time I turn around, he does something to reinforce it.
Well, that’s an interesting scenario. Let’s be honest, there aren’t roving bands of thugs preying on the inhabitants of farms. Oakland, though, is a different story. It’s a virtual cesspool of crime. Watch the tape. That was not a pleasant situation for the cops- and it happens every night. But you’re right about one thing. The cop did seem to shoot the kid in the back very casually- which leads me to believe the officer was one very cool, cold killer or, possibly, a man in a very tense situation who thought he was firing a Taser. My point: it doesn’t matter if the cop is guilty or not-he’s going down.
A Tom Wolfe novel come to life. The cop ain’t got a chance. If I were him I’d skip the country for a destination that doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the US. He’s convicted by the Joe Palookas everywhere including here, who have seen the video and KNOW!
In the aftermath of the Rodney King incident, a two dozen people died. Whose conscience are they on? Rodney’s? The well intentioned videographer’s? Expected more unintended consequences in this case.
In the meantime, Jerry Moonbeam is already running for election to another office!
Guilty or not? Are you kidding?
The cop waited until the other two cops had the kid pinned, stood, pulled his weapon, assumed the firing stance, and shot.
There's no "or not" here!
What "chance" does he deserve after performing a summary execution?
If I were him I’d skip the country for a destination that doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the US.
Well there's the difference between you and me. If I were him, I'd eat a bullet.
So we shouldn’t bother with a trial? Just execute him?
An eye for an eye...
After the RODNEY KING FIASCO, It will take a LOT of Convincing to believe ANY “Citizen Video”. I’ll need to see what happened during the 3 minutes PREVIOUS.
And Now that the NAALCP is INVOLVED, my Suspicious hackles go up even more.
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