Family of Oscar Grant celebrates victory, Mehserle to face murder charge
by dave id
The defense had called numerous witnesses over the course of the three-week hearing, including Mehserle’s fellow officers who were with him on the Fruitvale BART platform on Jan. 1 when Oscar Grant was murdered. The testimony of the BART officers did not help Mehserle’s case, as they were continually contradicted by the evidence from multiple videos shot by BART passengers that night. Prosecutor David Stein was very thorough in his questioning and cross examination, exposing the numerous lies of the BART police officers.
In the courtroom at the conclusion of the hearing today, family and friends waited anxiously to hear what the judge might say. When Judge Clay announced his decision, they broke out in tears of joy, amazed that rare justice for a police murder might actually be realized. While family and friends know that this is just a first step towards achieving justice for Oscar Grant, they were relieved, elated and a little bit giddy that the efforts of defense attorney Michael Rains failed to have the initial murder charge reduced or dropped.
Gathered in the park were Sister Beatrice of the Nation of Islam; Yolanda Turner, mother of Nigel and Jacky Bryson; Tracy Cooper, mother of Michael Greer; Rosemary Mesa, mother of Sophina Mesa and grandmother of Oscar Grant’s daughter, Tatiana; Zaporia Smith, mother of J2 Codwell; Diana Marks, godmother of Oscar Grant; Jack Bryson, father of Nigel and Jacky Bryson; and Jacky Bryson, who, along with the other sons named here, was with Oscar Grant on the night the BART police accosted the group and murdered Oscar Grant. They expressed gratitude for Judge Clay, Prosecutor Stein and numerous supporters who are fighting along with the family for justice.
For video, audio and written reports related to the Mehserle preliminary hearing at the Alameda County Courthouse, see http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/05/24/18597663.php.
Dave Id is a journalist and activist who has thoroughly documented the Justice for Oscar Grant Movement with vision, sensitivity and consummate expertise in prolific postings at www.indybay.org.
what a shame. this officer made a mistake and the racist blacks are out to hang him. i sure miss the old days.
I am so thankful that the BART cop will be tried for the murder of Oscar Grant. Let this send a message to all cops that like the nurder of Idryss Stelly at the SF Metreon when 9 cops fired over 4 dozen bullets into a young black man who was an honor student. He was unarmed and they knew it. He was having a psychological break down and the uneducated cops killed him for it. Then SF Mayor Brown had ordered all SF cops to have 40 hrs. of psychoglogical training but these 9 cops did not have theirs yet. Idryss may still be alive today if they had.
May justice be served and the BART cop get his death sentence.
Rev. Sandra Decker
And it’s people like prop187 who make me sick to my stomach. It’s racist people like that greatens the atrophy of this society.
In the “old days” sick perverse murderous men were allowed to destroy human life at will, a gift (life) they did not give but also could not understand for they have no souls. The “old days” will come only when they do it will only be you and your kind prop187 that will be there for it, enduring the same egregious acts committed against others. As disgusting as you are prop187 and those like you, I hope that people are praying for you because you need it.