Alameda Country District Attorney reopens Oscar Grant shooting death case

Source: MediaNews Group/East Bay Times via Getty Images / Getty

The death of Oscar Grant at the hands of police inside a BART station in Oakland was one of many painful deaths that we’ve been forced to witness on the internet over the past decade-plus. It sounds crazy to even say “decade”. We’ve seen SO many police killings since then and sadly, most of these trigger-happy pigs have gotten away scot-free for taking a life.

In 2009, Johannes Mehserle killed unarmed Oscar Grant as he laid face-down in a prone position. Mehserle blamed the shooting on accidentally grabbing his duty pistol instead of his taser. Our stomachs are churning and our blood pressure is rising just thinking about how weak of an excuse this is for a “trained” officer. On July 8, 2010, Mehserle was convicted of manslaughter but not the second-degree murder charge. On November 5, 2010, he was sentenced to two years in prison and he was back walking the streets by June 13, 2011 because of double-credit for time served. Ultimately, Mehserle’s sentence was an incredibly disrespectful slap-on-the-wrist. Today, that might change.

According to KTVU, Alameda Country District Attorney Nancy O’Malley has reponed the case as Oscar’s family has demanded that Mehserle serve REAL time and face REAL consequences for killing their loved one.

“We have listened closely to the requests of the family of Oscar Grant,” DA Nancy O’Malley said in a statement. “The murder of Oscar Grant greatly impacted the county and the state. My Office conducted the intensive investigation that led to the prosecution of BART Officer Johannes Mehserle for the crime of Murder. The trial occurred in Los Angeles due to a change of venue ordered by the court on the motion of the defense. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles jury only found Officer Mehserle guilty of involuntary manslaughter. We are re-opening our investigation. I have assigned a team of lawyers to look back into the circumstances that caused the death of Oscar Grant. We will evaluate the evidence and the law, including the applicable law at the time and the statute of limitations and make a determination.”

Black lives matter. Blue lives who kill innocent Black lives do not. Throw this trash-bag-with-a-badge under the jail forever.