Ex-Officer Is Charged in Killing in Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. — A former transit police officer was charged with murder Wednesday in the New Year’s Day shooting death of a young unarmed black man that provoked a week of public outrage and occasionally violent protest.
The former officer, Johannes Mehserle, surrendered Tuesday evening in Lake Tahoe, Nev., where it appeared he had gone to avoid community anger and the scrutiny of the news media. He was returned to California on Wednesday by the Oakland police.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/us/15oak...
The former officer, Johannes Mehserle, surrendered Tuesday evening in Lake Tahoe, Nev., where it appeared he had gone to avoid community anger and the scrutiny of the news media. He was returned to California on Wednesday by the Oakland police.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/us/15oak...
In 14 years as Alameda County District Attorney, Tom Orloff had never
before charged a police officer for an on-duty shooting. And when
asked, several legal experts were unable to come up with any examples
of officer-involved shootings becoming murder cases in California.
But overwhelming public pressure made it impossible for Orloff to
ignore Oscar Grant's murder. He said that "because of the intense
public interest I think more resources were put into wrapping this up
than would be put in in other situations." Orloff made it clear that
because enough ordinary people spoke out, he poured investigative
resources into this case that his record tells us he never would have
otherwise.
http://www.colorofchange.org/oscar_update/...