Riots Break Out in Oakland Over Police Involuntary Manslaughter Verdict

"We don't have to tear nothing up, the police goin' to jail, porky, is going to jail" - Demonstrator in Oakland

(OAKLAND / SALEM) - A bank has been taken over in Oakland, California, rioters busted into a Footlocker store, and thousands of people are out in the streets in response to the Manslaughter verdict entered against a BART Officer who shot a 22-year old man named Oscar Grant to death with an excuse of having confused his police revolver with a Taser.

The case revives racial tension by invoking memories of Rodney King and other high profile cases in California that have brought riots and violence in the past.

The officer, 28-year old Johannes Mehserle, weeped as he testified that the shooting of Oscar Grant was a tragic accident caused by accidentally grabbing his firearm instead of an electric Taser weapon during a struggle with Grant on New Year's Day 2009. He told the jury that he thought Grant was reaching for a gun.

The family of Oscar Grant was stoic, according to one reporter's description, but family members of Mehserle cried when he was led from the courtroom in handcuffs and taken away by deputies.

Here is a collection of current and past videos on the event that is currently rocking Oakland:

Spot.us founder David Cohn shot this video at the rally around 14th & Broadway in downtown Oakland, a couple of hours after the Mehserle verdict was announced.More coverage: OaklandLocal and Spot.us

*CREDIT-KTVU* *OFFICIAL NEWS COVERAGE* A march protesting the slaying of young Oakland father at the Fruitvale BART station early New Year's Day became violent Wednesday evening as a group of marchers attacked police and lit a dumpster on fire.

Video above posted by: imstillstanding2036 on January 16, 2009 "POLICE MURDER CAUGHT ON TAPE. UNEDITED FOOTAGE... GRAPHIC!! MURDER CAUGHT ON TAPE.. BART POLICE!!!"

This video captures the reaction before and after the shooting incident. It shows the officer firing on Grant, and the reaction from fellow BART Police officers who appear to react with surprise that the unidentified officer shot the suspect in the back.

*****************************************

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines.

Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

Salem-News.com Top Stories

2025: Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst

Two Wars with No Way Out

No One Owns the Future

The Ugly Origins of Trump's America First Policy

A One-State Solution Could Transform the World

Comments Leave a comment on this story.

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

AnthonyB July 9, 2010 9:57 am (Pacific time)

I am a police officer. The verdict in this case is crazy. We (police officers) are professionals and we don't make mistakes like this - confusing a taser for our weapon. The officer's (Mehserle)explanation on the stand that he thought Mr. Grant was reaching for a gun is lie. If a suspect is reaching for a gun or we think that he is - we are not trained to reach for our taser! We reach for our gun. He lied. He is guilty at minimum of voluntary manslaughter.

Mike July 9, 2010 12:10 pm (Pacific time)

Jury system is the best in the world. Just ask OJ Simpson. Any riots happen then?

Jay Knott July 9, 2010 12:09 pm (Pacific time)

One of the reasons these police murders occur with such regularity is the widespread sympathy for the police which seems to exist among the general public. In some countries, the police are regarded with suspicion and contempt, but here, the only time most people seem to criticize the police is when they pull them over for speeding!

tr0ik3 July 9, 2010 7:08 am (Pacific time)

The same thing happened right here in Salem in 2007 (give or take 1 year). Only difference is that the shot person did not die. Also, there were no charges, nor riots. I am not exactly a big fan of Police in general, but a lawful verdict in the Court is the exact opposite of justification for uncontrolled urban rage. I hope the police shoot some of the rioters, intentionally this time, to avoid any confusion.

Vic July 9, 2010 7:03 am (Pacific time)

Well, the cop is sorry...so he gets a slap on the hand.. How may people are in jail for vehicular homicide who drove while drunk and who are genuinely sorry and did not intend or mean to kill anyone with their cars? Should they all get off because they did not intend to get into a wreck? How may of them thought "I am going to drink and drive tonight and get in a wreck and kill someone" ? There are "rules" for our overlords (anything goes..just try not to get caught, recorded or filmed)and ruleS for the rest of us....

ElectroPig July 9, 2010 1:07 am (Pacific time)

I'm one of those crazy people that thinks...if you pulled a gun and shot someone, how can you say it was "involuntary" after the fact?

Your hand. Your gun. Your finger. Your action. Your bullet. Dead guy.

"Whoooooopsie doodley doo!" simply doesn't cut it, here...a man's life is OVER!

"Oh, I only wanted to TORTURE the guy with a high-voltage charge which COULD have killed him, and has been proven lethal in many cases..."

Is that somehow better?

The sheer insanity that this world presents every second of every day in exponential levels is absolutely astounding!

How has such a vehemently wilfully ignorant species as humanity survived this long? Your guess is as good as mine, folks...

How many times have you EVER heard of a criminal suspect running from the police "involuntarily killing an officer..." IT NEVER HAPPENS, AND NEVER WILL!

This perspective that a police officer can kill another human being FOR ANY REASON without suffering the same penalties as any other person who was NOT a cop...well, this inequity has got to be stopped.

Police state or not.

[Return to Top]