Riots Erupt and 105 DART Shooting Demonstrators are Arrested as Mob Mentality Takes Over
Riots erupt and 105 DART Shooting Demonstrators are Arrested as Mob Mentality Takes Over on a march to protest the fatal and blatant shooting of an unarmed man, Oscar Grant III, by a BART police officer. What started as a peaceful march erupted into violence in downtown Oakland, California.
New Years Day 2009, Oscar Grant III, was shot in the back, while being held down, with an officer on his back and was not resisting authorities when he was shot. Not only was the attack witnessed but it was video taped as well, by BART.
Authorities say 105 people had been arrested in the protest over the fatal New Years Day shooting of Oscar Grant III after a splitter group broke off from the peaceful march and began trashing store fronts, breaking windows, setting fires and damaging at least one patrol car and several other vehicles. Mob mentality takes over and the Oakland authorities began pushing the crowd back and arresting those who would not leave.
“We live a life of fear and we want them to feel fear tonight,” an unnamed demonstrator told KTVU at the height of the violence.
Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, who had walked to City Hall alongside dozens of protest at the start of the march, called for calm as the demonstration reeled out of control. “Even with our anger and our pain, let’s still address each other with a degree of civility and calmness and not make this tragedy an excuse to engage in violence,” Dellums said. “I don’t want anybody hurt, I don’t want anybody killed.”
More than a few demonstrators booed the mayor and decried the incident as yet another case of police brutality. Rodesha Morgan, 22, who said she is the niece of Mack Woodfox, who was fatally shot by an Oakland police officer in 2008, was one of the demonstrators walking alongside Mayor Dellums.
“I’m out here because my uncle was killed,” Morgan said. “I live with it every day.” She then shouted toward Mayor Dellums, “How many people have to die before something gets done?”
The Grant family attorney, John Burris, is pushing Orloff to press criminal charges against Mehserle, the Dart Officer who shot Oscar. Burris has also filed a $25 million claim with BART, alleging wrongful death, for the Grant family.
For more information on “Riots Erupt and 105 DART Shooting Demonstrators are Arrested as Mob Mentality Takes Over,” go to CNN News.
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While the murder is on video and wittnessed by 3 other police officers why was this officer not arrested? These other officers are sworn to uphold the law how could they not arrest Mr. Mehserle? If a bank holdup man has a driver both are charged in the holdup. Why are these other officers not being charged as well? Has the laws been changed so they can shot you after you are hand cuffed and subdued? I feel like the police department will address this with a bunch of WE WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE bull crap. And justice will be just what it was that night. MURDER.
While this is deplorable, and the officers involved SHOULD be charged and sentenced to the fullest extent, inciting riots is ridiculous! You end up costing individuals and insurance companies that had NOTHING TO DO WITH IT a ton of money. Not to mention the city/state government. Guess who pays for that? WE DO. It’s absolutely pointless. I would go as far to say that anyone who participated in this riot is no more civilized than the SOB officer who shot Mr. Grant. There is a reasonable way to handle things like this, and bashing in the windows to Phil’s Bakery is simply NOT THE ANSWER. It’s an excuse for hoodlums to steal things from innocent shop owners who are trying to make an honest living. You’re committing a crime to convince other people that a crime has been committed???? REALLY???
Not to diminish or lesson the loss of this man, but due process takes time and based on the evidence presented it is beyond likely the officer will be found guilty of his crime. Peaceful protests to ensure visibility make perfect sense. However those Americans using a crime (this crime or any other) to justify their own crime is a travesty, it is shameful and should not be permitted under any circumstance.
This is why such gatherings are so dangerous because they can start getting hot so very quickly and people can get hurt in a blink of an eye.