cop shoots handcuffed man

[Gr8KarmaSF]

i agree but there have been cases of people being tasered to death. mostly if the person is hit on/above the chest.

Listen to the officer and you wont get hurt, plain and simple....

Unless of course you have a ill retarded decision making cop like this guy did.

 

[Tongue33]

I live in the Bay Area, there are protests going on. The guy that got shot wasn't handcuffed. But, that shooting wasn't justified what so ever. People are talking that the cop might of mistaken his gun for his taser.

Manslaughter is still a felony.

Perhaps he didn't have enough proper training?!!

another link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKy-WSZMklc

Agreed

To me it appears the LEO thought he had his taser. In one of the videos I noticed some of the cops had tasers out but I couldnt tell if it was the officer that fired.

But in the video that shows the shot the most clearly, both the officer that fired and his partner released the man from their hold like they would before they tazed some one. It looks as if the firing office said, "I'm going to taze him." and they both let go and he grabbed and fired his gun by mistake.

I rarely side with LEOs but watching that scene made me nervous. They had a large loud crowd gathering around, it was NYE so most likely many were intoxicated. The situation could have turned very bad very quick. I cant imagine the mental stress put on these people in that situation and that stress could have led to what could have been an accident.

There are so many victims in this story, not just the deceased.

Manslaughter is still a felony.

mistake or not, its disgusting. the cop should be tried as the criminal he IS

Agreed

I dont understand why people riot. Is it just an excuse to cause damage? In the long run, all riots do is make things more expensive for yourself cause some one has to pay for the damage (tax dollars or higher prices from damaged businesses), but then again I doubt most of the rioters pay any taxes any how.

If it does turn out to be an accident and I really think it will, this officer's life is still for the most part ruined. He will face a harsh punishment and starting 01/01/09 will never live a normal day in his life again.

I feel bad for all of the victims in this case, Mr Grant, his kid/s, the officer and his family, and those affected by rioting hoodlums.

I agree with the first paragraph. and Manslaughter is still a felony.

I just thought about something else that points to this being an accident. Typically when an officers uses deadly force they fire their weapon until they know the person is dead. Its rare its one shot fired from an officers gun, more often then not the whole mag is dumped. Tongue says: unless they KNOW they have the upper hand on the person they are about to shoot... Plenty of it here where I am and one shot is more common here than a whole mag.

After the shot the victim was clearly alive and moving, if the officer really thought he needed to use deadly force he would have kept firing until the person was clearly dead. He didnt... Not necasseraliy... Once he reallised he had immobillized the threat.. he would stop .. This all depends on the officer.....

They also KNEW they were being filmed, I dont think he would have fired out of hate or rage on camera. I completely agree

Listen to the officer and you wont get hurt, plain and simple....

Unless of course you have a ill retarded decision making cop like this guy did.

Agreed.

Regardless of intent.. the Officer made a grave error.. He at very very least committed manslaughter... Which is a felony.. Ruined life... yes.. Fully accepting of actions.. ONLY and ONLY if he gets to get what everyone else gets...SOME TIME!

 

[Liam]

If the police officer goes to prison... I hope the other inmates don't know his previous occupation...

 

[Tongue33]

If the police officer goes to prison... I hope the other inmates don't know his previous occupation...

Police officers go to jail and prison. They are held in special areas. And in special ways to ensure there safety

 

[JD7.62]

I agree, for the most part.^

I think the percentage of cops on power trips is higher than it should be, but probably not quite 99.98%. (hopefully...)

I don't buy the whole "accident" theory one bit. If that police officer really thought he was using his taser than he is guilty of manslaughter, at the very least. Of all people they should know how to safely use a firearm. People get "accidentally" killed in convenience store robberies all the time. If the criminal thought that his gun wasn't loaded does that mean that he should be exonerated?

Not a good example. I forget the laws name, but in most states, if some one is killed while you are commiting a felony, YOU will be charged with murder even if you didnt do it. For example, if you and buddy rob a gas station and the clerk has a weapon and kills your buddy, YOU will be charged with his murder.

IF and please let me say it again...IF this turns out to be an accident, yes it is still a felony but the officers actions, again IF an accident, werent commited while he (the officer) was commiting a felony so I dont think he will be charged and convicted of murder.

I am not, and no one else is, advocating that this officer should get off scott free. What I am meaning is that, TO ME, it doesnt appear like the officer killed the man out of spite/anger/or on purpose for any other reason. I am stating that it all appears to be a tragic accident and the office WILL get punished. Also I will bet he will get punished more severly then say a civilian who accidently shoots and kills some one.

 

[Bottomfeeder]

Listen to the officer and you wont get hurt, plain and simple....

Unless of course you have a ill retarded decision making cop like this guy did.

i know gr8, my dad works for the queens d/a office as a lawyer
my mom used to but shes still in law
this was a very sad story. if you asked me it doesnt matter if the victim was a father, mother, felon, model citezen, or the president of the united states. a fellow human being died too soon for no good reason. very sad. it was probably avoidable and shouldnt have happened. yeah it was the cop's fault but im sure that the family of the victim would rather have him back than have him gone and pursue the cops for the incedent.
just my two cents.

 

[jcardona1]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/13/BAM615A08A.DTL


(01-14) 00:13 PST Oakland -- The BART police officer who fatally shot an unarmed man on an Oakland train platform and then refused to explain his actions to investigators was arrested Tuesday in Nevada on suspicion of murder, authorities said.

Johannes Mehserle, 27, of Lafayette was taken into custody in Douglas County, Nev., said Deputy Steve Velez of the Douglas County sheriff's office. The arrest was also confirmed by David Chai, chief of staff to Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums.

Mehserle was arrested in the New Year's Day shooting of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old supermarket worker from Hayward who was lying facedown after being pulled off a BART train by police investigating a fight. An Alameda County judge signed an arrest warrant alleging murder, and Mehserle surrendered without incident, authorities said.

The shooting, which was recorded by passengers in videos widely circulated on the Internet and television, prompted public outrage, and some viewers said that the shooting appeared to be an execution.

Sources said Mehserle was in Nevada because he feared for his safety after death threats were made against him. Douglas County is 15 miles south of Carson City in northwestern Nevada and includes part of Lake Tahoe.

Mehserle's attorney, Christopher W. Miller of Sacramento, confirmed early today that his client was arrested on suspicion of murder. He said he would not comment further until a news conference today.

Alameda County District Attorney Tom Orloff was expected to announce details of the arrest today. He could not be reached late Tuesday.

Authorities have been under immense pressure to take action in the case. On Tuesday, BART board President Thomas Blalock and board Director Carole Ward Allen sent a letter to Orloff, urging the district attorney to move expeditiously to complete the investigation and file charges if warranted.

Some Oakland community leaders and civil rights activists said the case is symbolic of larger problems with police officers using excessive force on young black men. Grant was black and Mehserle is white.

The arrest came on the eve of a protest scheduled for 4 p.m. today outside Oakland City Hall, the latest in a series of demonstrations in which BART has been accused of mishandling the investigation.

BART police on Monday turned over the results of their preliminary investigation to Orloff's office. A separate investigation by Oakland police was launched last week, and Mehserle's arrest was related to that probe, sources said. The state attorney general is also monitoring the case.

BART officers had detained Grant and several other passengers at about 2 a.m. Jan. 1 as they investigated a fight aboard a train from San Francisco. Passengers with cellular phone cameras captured footage that shows Grant lying facedown when he was shot.

In the videos, Mehserle appears to be trying to put cuffs on Grant, and Grant appears to be struggling, when Mehserle suddenly pulls his service weapon from his holster and fires one shot into Grant's back.

Mehserle declined to speak to BART criminal investigators after the shooting. Then last Wednesday he resigned rather than answer questions from BART's internal affairs division.

His departure came the same day Grant was buried and a peaceful protest at the Fruitvale BART Station erupted into violence in downtown Oakland. Demonstrators set cars on fire and broke windows at dozens of businesses. By night's end, police had arrested 105 people.

Grant's family has filed a $25 million legal claim against BART, signaling an intention to sue for damages. The family's attorney, John Burris, said late Tuesday that he was pleased to hear of Mehserle's arrest.

"If it's true, the family is delighted, and it will really help with the healing process," Burris said. "This is also very important for the community. This had to occur; it was almost a no-brainer. I think the district attorney ought to be commended for moving (the case) expeditiously."

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

Probably took him in also to stop the potential of a riot again, theres another scheduled protest today or later this week.

Sad story is that he lived about 15 minutes away from me and locals said his wife and baby both received so many death threats that they had to go underground.

 

[Bottomfeeder]

Probably took him in also to stop the potential of a riot again, theres another scheduled protest today or later this week.

Sad story is that he lived about 15 minutes away from me and locals said his wife and baby both received so many death threats that they had to go underground.

wait, the cop or victim's wife?

 

[jcardona1]

wait, the cop or victim's wife?

the cop's wife. everybody hates the cop and his family