Johannes Mehserle
On a Saturday afternoon in July, 2011, Kenneth Harding Jr., 19, lay stomach down in his own blood, fighting for his life on the corner of 3rd Street and Palou Avenue in the heart of the Bay View Hunters Point neighborhood in San Francisco. Some say San Francisco police officers shot Harding after he allegedly evaded his transit fare on the T-line of San Francisco’s Muni system, and then ran from police. The San Francisco Police Department contends that Harding shot…
On Sunday, the Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant met at Humanist Hall in Oakland to share ideas for advancing their overarching goal of preventing police abuse in their communities, and to discuss the group’s successes and failures.
Former BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle was released from a Los Angeles jail shortly after midnight on Monday, after having served a total of 365 days in the Los Angeles Central Jail. This included his time served while incarcerated during his trial and while awaiting sentencing.
Oakland residents give testimony about officer-involved shootings and racial profiling in the community at the Oakland Tribunal: A People’s Hearing on Racism and Violence.
Ever since then-BART police officer Johannes Mehserle fatally shot Oscar Grant on the platform of its Fruitvale station nearly two years ago, BART—and particularly its police force—has struggled to rebuild its relationship with the communities it serves. New BART Police Chief Kenton Rainey says he’s the man for the job.
Oakland police officials say there was minimal damage Friday night as protesters marched through the city in response to the sentencing of Johannes Mehserle. By the end of the evening, two Oakland businesses sustained broken windows and six cars were damaged in the wake of the protest.
Former BART Officer Johannes Mehserle was sentenced Friday to two years in prison, including time served, for the fatal shooting of Oscar Grant III. Protesters in front of City Hall voiced their reactions moments after hearing the news to Oakland North.