Riots in Oakland over Police Shooting of an Unarmed Man

News Type: Event — Seeded on Thu Jan 8, 2009 8:39 AM EST

Article Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

us-news, police, california, shooting, oakland, police-officer, bart

A protest over the fatal shooting by a BART police officer of an unarmed man mushroomed into several hours of violence Wednesday night as demonstrators smashed storefronts and cars, set several cars ablaze and blocked streets in downtown Oakland.

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Groups: Activism, Breaking News, Crime and Punishment, Left of Center, Open Minded, Political Analysis, RightsVine, Skeptics
Regions: San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose

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{"commentId":4712834,"authorDomain":"killfile"}

Killfile

Not that I'm overly in favor of rioting, but it's good to see that not all Americans are politically neutered enough to let something like an police execution slide.

{"commentId":4712834,"threadId":"464084","contentId":"2287769","authorDomain":"killfile"}

3 votes

#1 - Thu Jan 8, 2009 8:49 AM EST

{"commentId":4713159,"authorDomain":"igmuska"}

igmuska

If the shooter/executioner was a common citizen, the suspect would have been arrested, arraigned and pending release on bail. This didn't happen, the suspect quit his job with BART to avoid administrative review and is probably getting for flight.

For most of the night, police and press helicopters orbited Oakland, monitoring the civil disturbance. At one point, Mayor Dellums even marched with the disgruntled citizens to City Hall where he gave a statement indicating that the investigative process into the shooting must continue using its own process. The citizens responded with boos and continued their destruction of public and private property.

{"commentId":4713159,"threadId":"464084","contentId":"2287769","authorDomain":"igmuska"}

1 vote

#1.1 - Thu Jan 8, 2009 9:25 AM EST

{"commentId":4714230,"authorDomain":"tacitus13"}

Tacitus13

Not that I'm overly in favor of rioting, but it's good to see that not all Americans are politically neutered enough to let something like an police execution slide.

According to the girl who recorded the video, it sounded more like an accidental discharge of the officer's weapon.

{"commentId":4714230,"threadId":"464084","contentId":"2287769","authorDomain":"tacitus13"}

#1.2 - Thu Jan 8, 2009 10:41 AM EST

{"commentId":4715441,"authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

AdipicAcid

So manslaughter instead of murder.

Responsible firearms is pretty specific: only draw your weapon if you intend to kill the person you are aiming it at.

{"commentId":4715441,"threadId":"464084","contentId":"2287769","authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

1 vote

#1.3 - Thu Jan 8, 2009 11:55 AM EST

{"commentId":4718474,"authorDomain":"igmuska"}

igmuska

Charges less than second degree murder will cause riots much bigger than the Rodney King LA riots.

{"commentId":4718474,"threadId":"464084","contentId":"2287769","authorDomain":"igmuska"}

#1.4 - Thu Jan 8, 2009 2:30 PM EST

{"commentId":4719345,"authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

AdipicAcid

Well the district attorney seems to be taking over the case, and CNN had this to say:

District Attorney Tom Orloff told CNN on Wednesday the incident is a "pretty clear" homicide and his office will focus primarily on Mehserle's mental state before the shooting.

Looks like he plans to plead "bat@!$%# crazy" to try to avoid the slammer.

{"commentId":4719345,"threadId":"464084","contentId":"2287769","authorDomain":"acidreflux"}

1 vote

#1.5 - Thu Jan 8, 2009 3:13 PM EST

{"commentId":4727522,"authorDomain":"tompopp"}

TomPopp

Yes, at the least the officer should have been arrested for gross criminal negligence. All superiors of this officer, starting with his chief, then the local police, state police (or out of jurisdiction?), then California's Attorney General are responsible for his arrest. One of them need to step up and make this happen. He must be arrested immediately! Yes, he's a flight risk. Is his lawyer hoping the media takes it so far that he'll claim there is no way for a fair trial? Maybe not possible considering the Rodney King and OJ trials.

There has been rumors that the officer is on steroids and/or oxycotin? Can anyone find any truth to this? If he does claim insanity, he'll have to show prior mistakes he was making and his partner will have to testify that he witnessed his mental collapse. I think the best he can do is claim he was exhausted, having a child a few days before. Maybe that will let the the tazer mistake fly but if the situation is proved to not merit a tazer, what does that do to his case?

To think he pulled out his gun as a show of force but then accidentally fired it . . . man, pull out a gun on a handcuffed man with a huge crowd watching? Complete disregard for accountability.

His fellow officer's have a huge headache coming their way.

{"commentId":4727522,"threadId":"464084","contentId":"2287769","authorDomain":"tompopp"}

#2 - Fri Jan 9, 2009 4:27 AM EST

{"commentId":4729240,"authorDomain":"killfile"}

Killfile

Video of the incident is available here. I'm not sure about the rumors, but it looks like things got unnecessarily out of hand pretty quick.

{"commentId":4729240,"threadId":"464084","contentId":"2287769","authorDomain":"killfile"}

#2.1 - Fri Jan 9, 2009 9:27 AM EST

{"commentId":4781523,"authorDomain":"tompopp"}

TomPopp

So, he took the 5th! Supposedly that night! Does that relieve him of having to fill out a police report? Did he?

{"commentId":4781523,"threadId":"464084","contentId":"2287769","authorDomain":"tompopp"}

#3 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 5:36 PM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"464084","isPrivate":false}

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Riots in Oakland over Police Shooting of an Unarmed Man

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