As most see it, Oscar Grant, subdued with his hands behind his back and face down on the ground, was brutally murdered in cold blood by Johannes Mehserle. Oscar Grant’s soul will find no peace any time soon. Oscar Grant’s family, friends, and supporters will find no peace any time soon. For Oscar Grant, there is only death--and injustice.
Johannes Mehserle, a police officer, walked away with a slap on the wrist for the brutal, cold-blooded killing of Oscar Grant, an unarmed young man from the city of Oakland, California. Johannes Mehserle mistook his gun for his tazer, and shot Oscar Grant in the back as he lay, restrained, on the cold tile floor of a B.A.R.T. station. A simple mistake. Johannes Mehserle’s family, friends and supporters will celebrate his life. For Johannes Mehserle, there is reprieve--two years jail time and double credit for time served--and a chance at redemption.
This story should surprise no-one. It is old as Methuselah. It is business as usual.
