Mehserle Verdict = Involuntary Manslaughter

[Amputate Your Head]

Ex-officer found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Oakland subway shooting - Jul 2010


(linkhotted)

(CNN) -- A former police officer who is white was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Thursday in the killing of an unarmed black man in Oakland, California.

Johannes Mehserle, who was a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer at the time of the incident, was convicted in the shooting of 22-year-old Oscar Grant on a California train platform on January 1, 2009. Mehserle, who was on duty at the time, said at the trial that he intended to draw and fire his Taser rather than his gun, CNN affiliate KTVU reported. The shooting was captured on a bystander's cell-phone video camera. The video was widely circulated, and it spurred several protests and riots in and around Oakland.

LINK


Guess we'll find out soon enough if that verdict sits well with Oakland.

[LeRoy]

So basically time served.

Ouch!

[tical]

Good thing they released the verdict at 4. That leaves only 2 hours of rioting before everyone has to go home and watch "The Decision."

[brassmonkey]

well maybe he will find justice while doing time.

[marcop]

Good thing they released the verdict at 4. That leaves only 2 hours of rioting before everyone has to go home and watch "The Decision."

[Amputate Your Head]

So basically time served.

Ouch!

Nice to get the "privileged white cop" verdict from the all white jury way the fuck down in LA. Did anyone expect anything less?

[cykoe6]

It is a fair verdict based on what I have seen.

[Amputate Your Head]

It is a fair verdict based on what I have seen.

It's a mockery of justice based on what I've seen.

[WarChild]

It's a mockery of justice based on what I've seen.

Murder always requires intent. You must intend to kill the person. Pretty hard to prove that was his intention especially since it doesn't make any sense. A police officer that intends to kill someone is most probably not going to do it on a crowded train platform in front of people.

It's the right verdict.

[cykoe6]

Murder always requires intent. You must intend to kill the person. Pretty hard to prove that was his intention especially since it doesn't make any sense. A police officer that intends to kill someone is most probably not going to do it on a crowded train platform in front of people.

It's the right verdict.

That is exactly what I meant. It seems pretty clear that the officer panicked and made a mistake which resulted in the death of the victim. That is basically the definition of "Involuntary Manslaughter"...... hence a fair verdict.

[opflix]

no legal system anywhere is fair nor will it ever be as long as people r involved. people made it, its not logical and 'fairness' requires a kind of logic

[brassmonkey]

It's a mockery of justice based on what I've seen.

its nothing new same old shit maybe one day it will spill over. i think it needs to happen. a cup can hold only so much. maybe we will see it in our lifetime.

[baddog]

Murder always requires intent. You must intend to kill the person. Pretty hard to prove that was his intention especially since it doesn't make any sense. A police officer that intends to kill someone is most probably not going to do it on a crowded train platform in front of people.

It's the right verdict.

Some people do not bother to read the law.

[baddog]

its nothing new same old shit maybe one day it will spill over. i think it needs to happen. a cup can hold only so much. maybe we will see it in our lifetime.

Okay, what should the verdict have been?

[Amputate Your Head]

Okay, what should the verdict have been?

Murder 2

[brassmonkey]

Okay, what should the verdict have been?

i cant really say i didn't really see the evidence.

[TheSenator]

White 1 - Black 0

[baddog]

i cant really say i didn't really see the evidence.

So why was the verdict wrong?

[mynameisjim]

Seems fishy.

A taser and handgun do not feel that similar, I've held both before.. If he was in a shoot out, I can see him not being able to tell the difference because of the heat of battle. But the suspect was subdued and lying prone, the other suspects were subdued. I don't believe for a second he "accidentally" pulled his taser. What happened was he pulled his gun trying to be a hard ass, but instead he was a dumb ass and had his finger on the trigger and it accidentally went off.

[brassmonkey]

So why was the verdict wrong?

ok from what ive heard he shot him in the back. he is trained for safety and it didnt look like he was struggling in the part i watched. i can tell you there is a different feel between a 9mm and a taser gun that i can tell u.

[mynameisjim]

I say murder 2. Pulling a gun in that situation was beyond just being reckless.

[WarChild]

Seems fishy.

A taser and handgun do not feel that similar, I've held both before.. If he was in a shoot out, I can see him not being able to tell the difference because of the heat of battle. But the suspect was subdued and lying prone, the other suspects were subdued. I don't believe for a second he "accidentally" pulled his taser. What happened was he pulled his gun trying to be a hard ass, but instead he was a dumb ass and had his finger on the trigger and it accidentally went off.

Still involuntary manslaughter.

[mynameisjim]

Still involuntary manslaughter.

I think you can argue murder 2 in that situation. Pulling a gun on a subdued suspect showed no regard for anyone's safety. The act of pulling the gun makes it murder 2. If the weapon was already out because a suspect was acting unruly and the gun goes off accidentally, that's involuntary manslaughter. The act of pulling the gun when it was not needed is what escalates this to murder 2.

That's why the defense came up with the whole bullshit excuse about him thinking he was pulling a taser instead instead of his handgun. They knew the act of knowingly pulling a gun turns it into murder 2.

[BestXXXPorn]

There is nothing involuntary about drawing and firing your fucking side arm... If you can't instantly tell the difference between a taser and a fucking pistol you're not trained in either. That guy is full of shit IMO...

[mynameisjim]

He's flat out guilty of murder 2. He just had good lawyers and a sympathetic jury that fell for the defense's argument that he didn't know he was pulling out a handgun.

[brassmonkey]

There is nothing involuntary about drawing and firing your fucking side arm... If you can't instantly tell the difference between a taser and a fucking pistol you're not trained in either. That guy is full of shit IMO...

yes sir

[jimmy-3-way]

There is nothing involuntary about drawing and firing your fucking side arm... If you can't instantly tell the difference between a taser and a fucking pistol you're not trained in either. That guy is full of shit IMO...

Don't BART cops carry their Tasers on the opposite side in cross draw rigs?

[DirtyDanza]

I just don't get it... he shoots a criminal who's resisting arrest and go's to jail

[directfiesta]

I just don't get it... he shoots a criminal who's resisting arrest and go's to jail

A cop would see your avatar .. and would shout you ... you look like a criminal

[Amputate Your Head]

Oakland is in riot mode as we speak.

[brassmonkey]

Oakland is in riot mode as we speak.

that kind of shit needs to end.

[Spunky]

Peace and love...

[Mr Happy]

It will never end

[iseeyou]

There is nothing involuntary about drawing and firing your fucking side arm... If you can't instantly tell the difference between a taser and a fucking pistol you're not trained in either. That guy is full of shit IMO...

Finally, someone on this board is smart enough to figure it out. At best, it could be "negligent" or "careless" manslaughter but hardly "involuntary".

[Ethersync]

Murder 2. Riot on Oakland...

[iseeyou]

I would have chosen "voluntary manslaughter". The cop admitted that he intended to shoot the kid. That's 100% voluntary.

But he did a lethal shot instead of a non-lethal shot.

And if he intended to do a lethal shot, then it's murder. Either way, it's voluntary.

[seeandsee]

i expect obama to jump in with axe!