January 2009
Oscar Grant III, 22, was shot in the back and killed by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale station in Oakland in the early hours of New Year's Day. Grant was face-down and restrained when shot. The killing was captured on multiple bystander videos. Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter — the first California officer convicted for an on-duty killing in decades — and served 11 months.
Thousands took to the streets of Oakland following Oscar Grant's killing and Mehserle's initial non-arrest. Protests on January 7–8 included property destruction downtown. Demonstrators demanded Mehserle's arrest; he was taken into custody in Nevada on January 13. The 2010 film 'Fruitvale Station' (released 2013) later brought national attention. The case became a founding reference point for accountability campaigns.
Events
- January 1, 2009Oscar Grant Shot Face-Down on BART Platform by Officer Johannes Mehserle
Oscar Grant III, 22, was shot in the back and killed by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale station in Oakland in the early hours of New Year's Day. Grant was face-down and restrained when shot. The killing was captured on multiple bystander videos. Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter — the first California officer convicted for an on-duty killing in decades — and served 11 months.
- January 7, 2009Oakland Erupts in Protests and Rebellion After Oscar Grant Killing
Thousands took to the streets of Oakland following Oscar Grant's killing and Mehserle's initial non-arrest. Protests on January 7–8 included property destruction downtown. Demonstrators demanded Mehserle's arrest; he was taken into custody in Nevada on January 13. The 2010 film 'Fruitvale Station' (released 2013) later brought national attention. The case became a founding reference point for accountability campaigns.
- January 7, 2009Oakland Protests and Rebellion Erupt After Oscar Grant Killing
Thousands took to Oakland streets after Oscar Grant's killing and Mehserle's initial non-arrest. January 7-8 protests included downtown property destruction. Mehserle was arrested in Nevada on January 13. The case became a founding reference point for police accountability campaigns.