As the Mehserle sentencing hearing got closer, things have been getting tense in California. Mehserle, a former Bay Area Rapid Transit system officer, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Presumably, he mistook his sidearm for his Taser. At point blank range, he fired into Grant. Grant, twenty-two years of age, perished the following day. 2 years, with credit for time served, had been the sentence handed to Mehserle. Resource for this article – Just over a year in Johannes Mehserle sentencing by Personal Money Store.
A Mehserle sentence
At the Johannes Mehserle sentencing hearing, Mehserle received two years with credit given for 292 days of time already served. ABC7 reports that the San Francisco prison could be seeing Mehserle for about 14 months as he was convicted in July of involuntary manslaughter. However, a gun enhancement charge had been overturned by judge Robert Perry, and may be retried later. The gun enhancement charge, or using a firearm in commission of a crime, could add ten years on to his sentence. Mehserle should get the maximum sentence Grant's mother asked for. This would mean 14 years would be what he'd get. Judge Perry insisted that there was insufficient evidence that Mehserle intended to draw his pistol rather than his taser. Mehserle might be released early. In seven months, this could happen.
Police are supposed to be ready
CNN reports that protests in Oakland began after the Oscar Grant shooting in July caused Mehserle to be convicted. Police officers made arrests at that time, and there was some damage and looting of local area companies. The protest planned for Friday is expected to be not nearly as bad as the first. November 5 is the protest that had a permit received for it. There were no African Americans on the jury. It also doesn't help that the story of a white Californian police officer killed a young African American is what the B.A.R.T. Oscar Grant incident is being spread as.
Levels of stress are high
Los Angeles County was to take the trial on. This was because Alameda County had too much tension in it. Family and friends of Grant were mad the sentence didn't have more of a punishment for murder from a police officer.
Information from
ABC News
abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=7765037
CNN
cnn.com/2010/CRIME/11/05/california.subway.shooting.sentencing/index.html?hpt=T2
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