Death by BART (followup)
January 14, 2009 7:49 AM Subscribe
Oscar Grant and the controversy surrounding his death have been discussed before here and here. Johannes Mehserle has finally been arrested on suspicion of murder.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Previous thread is only six days old and folks are discussing it there. -- cortex
Mehserle declined to speak to BART criminal investigators after the shooting. Then last Wednesday he resigned rather than answer questions from BART's internal affairs division.
Wow. As far as I remember my UK journalism law, that "little" detail could never have been included in a newspaper report once an arrest has been made (or, arguably, when the arrest was imminent!).
(This is not to diminish in any way my total horror at the incident).
posted by Jody Tresidder at 7:59 AM on January 14, 2009
Wow. As far as I remember my UK journalism law, that "little" detail could never have been included in a newspaper report once an arrest has been made (or, arguably, when the arrest was imminent!).
(This is not to diminish in any way my total horror at the incident).
posted by Jody Tresidder at 7:59 AM on January 14, 2009
...fatally shot an unarmed man on an Oakland train platform and then refused to explain his actions to investigators...
The way this is juxtaposed gives the impression that if he had given an explanation he'd be free now. I'm sure that's incorrect.
Anyway, why *didn't* he given an explanation? Not even one as feeble as his apologists in the MeFi thread? Something like "Well, his audio was kind of muted, so for all I knew he was threatening to kill me. Self-defense."
posted by DU at 8:00 AM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
The way this is juxtaposed gives the impression that if he had given an explanation he'd be free now. I'm sure that's incorrect.
Anyway, why *didn't* he given an explanation? Not even one as feeble as his apologists in the MeFi thread? Something like "Well, his audio was kind of muted, so for all I knew he was threatening to kill me. Self-defense."
posted by DU at 8:00 AM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
...his death have been discussed before here and here.
This is already being discussed in the most recent thread. Why the need for a new FPP?
posted by ericb at 8:00 AM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
This is already being discussed in the most recent thread. Why the need for a new FPP?
posted by ericb at 8:00 AM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
what desjardins said
and i've mentioned this incident to a few friends and they hadn't heard of it. it hasn't really been covered by mainstream media.
i guess joe the plumber's visit to israel is more newsworthy...
posted by sentinel chicken at 8:00 AM on January 14, 2009
and i've mentioned this incident to a few friends and they hadn't heard of it. it hasn't really been covered by mainstream media.
i guess joe the plumber's visit to israel is more newsworthy...
posted by sentinel chicken at 8:00 AM on January 14, 2009
This has already been mentioned in the thread on this topic which is still open. Please don't do this.
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:04 AM on January 14, 2009
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:04 AM on January 14, 2009
...it hasn't really been covered by mainstream media.
Oh, really? AP, ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, MTV, New York Times, UPI, USA Today, Wall Street Journal among others have had coverage.
The story has even been on our local Boston news stations and in our newspapers.
posted by ericb at 8:06 AM on January 14, 2009
Oh, really? AP, ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, MTV, New York Times, UPI, USA Today, Wall Street Journal among others have had coverage.
The story has even been on our local Boston news stations and in our newspapers.
posted by ericb at 8:06 AM on January 14, 2009
I did not notice that it was already being discussed. Sorry.
posted by Mr_Zero at 8:07 AM on January 14, 2009
posted by Mr_Zero at 8:07 AM on January 14, 2009
And hundreds of thousands have viewed the cellphone videos and news reports online.
posted by ericb at 8:08 AM on January 14, 2009
posted by ericb at 8:08 AM on January 14, 2009
As far as I remember my UK journalism law, that "little" detail could never have been included in a newspaper
There's basically nothing like that in the US, thanks to the first amendment. A side effect is that it can be tough to find an unbiased jury and they are often whittled down to a group of people who don't follow the news. People like that often make basic mistakes.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 8:19 AM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
There's basically nothing like that in the US, thanks to the first amendment. A side effect is that it can be tough to find an unbiased jury and they are often whittled down to a group of people who don't follow the news. People like that often make basic mistakes.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 8:19 AM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Anyway, why *didn't* he given an explanation?
As from the already open thread on the topic:
As from the already open thread on the topic:
"Officer Johannes Mehserle, 27, was supposed to make a statement Wednesday about why he shot 22-year-old Oscar Grant as the supermarket worker lay face-down at the Fruitvale Station in Oakland, BART said.posted by ericb at 8:34 AM on January 14, 2009
...Mehserle, however, did not show up for the scheduled interview at 11 a.m.
...Mehserle's resignation means he does not have to answer questions about the shooting from BART internal affairs investigators.
...BART had come under fire from John Burris, the attorney for Grant's family, for not having forced Mehserle to talk with internal affairs investigators since the shooting. Unlike in criminal investigations - in which a suspect has the constitutional right not to talk to police - officers involved in on-the-job shootings must talk to inspectors as part of administrative inquiries or risk being fired." *
-------------------------------------------------
"District Attorney Tom Orloff told CNN on Wednesday the incident is a 'pretty clear' homicide and his office will focus primarily on Mehserle's mental state prior to the shooting." *
« Older Only Six days Left To Begin Impeachment | Mr. Geoghegan Goes to Washington Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by desjardins at 7:53 AM on January 14, 2009 [1 favorite]