Sgt. Mark Dunakin. Officer John Hege. Sgt. Erv Romans. Sgt. Dan Sakai.
One week ago, these four members of the Oakland Police Department were respected, hard-working men who took their job of protecting and serving seriously. Today, all four are dead; the victims of a routine traffic stop gone wrong.
The man accused of killing them: Oakland resident Lovelle Mixon, a 26-year-old parolee who since the accident has been linked to the rape of a young girl last month.
We don’t need to rehash the gory details of what happened early Saturday afternoon. Nor should we try to link this tragedy to other non-related incidents that have involved law enforcement and unnecessary shootings in Oakland in recent months. But we do need to ask that burning question
Most would say it’s “Why? … Why did this happen?” But I disagree.
There is no need to ask, “Why did Mixon kill four police officers in cold blood?” The answer to that is fairly obvious. The young man who had such a violent, criminal past was scared and full of anger.
The question is “How did Mixon get to this point?”
The answer: Mixon was the victim of a failed prison and parole system.
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Showing posts with label shooting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shooting. Show all posts
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
And he’s off…
This time, hopefully, he won’t go as far.
Johannes Mehserle, the accused former Bay Area Transit Officer who shot and killed Hayward resident Oscar Grant III on New Year’s Day, made bail Friday afternoon.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Morris Jacobson one week ago set bail at $3 million. Although Jacobson said he was forced to set bail according to state law, he placed it at an amount he said he felt would deter the former officer from skipping town if he is able to raise the money. Mehserle was arrested Jan. 13 following an “escape” to Douglas County, about 15 miles south of Carson City in northwestern Nevada. In part, he feared his life.
During an evening march and protest in downtown Oakland Friday, the word of and anger over Mehserle’s freedom quickly grew. Grant’s family, through their lawyer, also voiced concern over his meeting the bail they, too, had hoped would be denied.
Now, I in no way condone what the disgraced former BART officer has done and feel he should be treated like any Regular Joe and be convicted of the crime we all have seen he committed. However, as much as everyone wants to see Mehserle behind bars – particularly, a radical few who have pushed the limits of peaceful protesting – the man does have the same rights of any criminal.
Yes, Mehserle found the means to raise the 10 percent bond unlike many other prisoners. The fact that he was a law enforcement representative who may have taken his authority way too far is disheartening. The reality that Mehserle is white and Grant was black, perpetuating the theory that racism is still alive in America, promotes lively discussion and accusations in the case. But acting violent and ignorant over the situation only adds fuel to their fire.
Continue the peaceful protests. Keep public attention on the wrongs of this case. Voice opinions, and facts, that will bring police brutality to an end. But allow justice to be served.
Johannes Mehserle, the accused former Bay Area Transit Officer who shot and killed Hayward resident Oscar Grant III on New Year’s Day, made bail Friday afternoon.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Morris Jacobson one week ago set bail at $3 million. Although Jacobson said he was forced to set bail according to state law, he placed it at an amount he said he felt would deter the former officer from skipping town if he is able to raise the money. Mehserle was arrested Jan. 13 following an “escape” to Douglas County, about 15 miles south of Carson City in northwestern Nevada. In part, he feared his life.
During an evening march and protest in downtown Oakland Friday, the word of and anger over Mehserle’s freedom quickly grew. Grant’s family, through their lawyer, also voiced concern over his meeting the bail they, too, had hoped would be denied.
Now, I in no way condone what the disgraced former BART officer has done and feel he should be treated like any Regular Joe and be convicted of the crime we all have seen he committed. However, as much as everyone wants to see Mehserle behind bars – particularly, a radical few who have pushed the limits of peaceful protesting – the man does have the same rights of any criminal.
Yes, Mehserle found the means to raise the 10 percent bond unlike many other prisoners. The fact that he was a law enforcement representative who may have taken his authority way too far is disheartening. The reality that Mehserle is white and Grant was black, perpetuating the theory that racism is still alive in America, promotes lively discussion and accusations in the case. But acting violent and ignorant over the situation only adds fuel to their fire.
Continue the peaceful protests. Keep public attention on the wrongs of this case. Voice opinions, and facts, that will bring police brutality to an end. But allow justice to be served.
Monday, January 12, 2009
More than one victim
Sunday afternoon, I sat in on one of the several town hall meetings held to discuss the shooting of a Hayward man by BART police.
The community and local leaders stepped up to the mic, one by one, to express their frustration and concern over the senseless murder of Oscar Grant III of Hayward. It was similar to the other community meetings, town halls and public protests over the past two weeks, where people were allowed to voice their opinions.
However, during this gathering, there was a point made by Oakland Councilwoman Nancy Nadel (District 3) that I, and I’m sure others, have forgotten.
“There is one issue in particular that I think we need to deal with … the healing of everyone who was harmed,” she said. “We have to take some action in reaching out to them. And ask them what they need to be healed.”
She’s right. We, as a community, have been so immersed in finding answers as to why former BART officer Johannes Mehserle shot and killed Grant – and rightfully so – that we have failed to realize there were additional victims on the Fruitvale station platform that early morning.
The young men involved went through something that goes deep – they watched a friend be killed in front of their eyes, within a few feet, for no apparent reason.
As we continue our search for answers, we need to reach out to these “survivors” of the BART New Year's Day shooting and offer them our care and assistance.
Read more coverage at The Globe Newspapers.
The community and local leaders stepped up to the mic, one by one, to express their frustration and concern over the senseless murder of Oscar Grant III of Hayward. It was similar to the other community meetings, town halls and public protests over the past two weeks, where people were allowed to voice their opinions.
However, during this gathering, there was a point made by Oakland Councilwoman Nancy Nadel (District 3) that I, and I’m sure others, have forgotten.
“There is one issue in particular that I think we need to deal with … the healing of everyone who was harmed,” she said. “We have to take some action in reaching out to them. And ask them what they need to be healed.”
She’s right. We, as a community, have been so immersed in finding answers as to why former BART officer Johannes Mehserle shot and killed Grant – and rightfully so – that we have failed to realize there were additional victims on the Fruitvale station platform that early morning.
The young men involved went through something that goes deep – they watched a friend be killed in front of their eyes, within a few feet, for no apparent reason.
As we continue our search for answers, we need to reach out to these “survivors” of the BART New Year's Day shooting and offer them our care and assistance.
Read more coverage at The Globe Newspapers.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Bay Area residents demand answers
A moment of silence during Thursday morning’s Bay Area Rapid Transit board of directors meeting broke up more than 12 hours of peaceful protests and civil unrest in response to the killing of Oscar Grant.
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Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Conflict no more?
One of the questions has been answered: Did Oscar Grant do anything to warrant being shot and killed?
No.
One look at the video clearly shows that the shooting of Grant – the 22-year-old man who was fatally wounded by Bay Area Rapid Transit police after an altercation between he and his friends and another group of men – was not justified.
The question that now remains: Why did the officer pull his gun?
It’s been almost a week since the incident took place and there is little that we know … thanks to BART officials who are "committed to completing an unbiased, thorough and detailed investigation."
We have learned the officer, two-year BART police veteran Johannes Mehserle, turned 27 on Monday and his first child was born within a day or two of the shooting. I can understand this could be why he’s been “unavailable,” but what about Grant’s family and the 4-year-old daughter he left behind?
There is much talk that in the confusion, Mehserle may have thought he was going for his Taser instead. I can go with this theory seeing the look of shock on his face after he shot Grant. But the longer BART and Mehserle remain silent, the number of questions increase and the harder it is for Grant’s family.
A $25 million claim against the BART agency has been filed and civil rights attorney John Burris plans to ask Alameda County prosecutors to seek criminal charges against the officer. But we still need to know: Why did Mehserle pull his gun?
Whatever the answer, it needs to be answered … and soon.
No.
One look at the video clearly shows that the shooting of Grant – the 22-year-old man who was fatally wounded by Bay Area Rapid Transit police after an altercation between he and his friends and another group of men – was not justified.
The question that now remains: Why did the officer pull his gun?
It’s been almost a week since the incident took place and there is little that we know … thanks to BART officials who are "committed to completing an unbiased, thorough and detailed investigation."
We have learned the officer, two-year BART police veteran Johannes Mehserle, turned 27 on Monday and his first child was born within a day or two of the shooting. I can understand this could be why he’s been “unavailable,” but what about Grant’s family and the 4-year-old daughter he left behind?
There is much talk that in the confusion, Mehserle may have thought he was going for his Taser instead. I can go with this theory seeing the look of shock on his face after he shot Grant. But the longer BART and Mehserle remain silent, the number of questions increase and the harder it is for Grant’s family.
A $25 million claim against the BART agency has been filed and civil rights attorney John Burris plans to ask Alameda County prosecutors to seek criminal charges against the officer. But we still need to know: Why did Mehserle pull his gun?
Whatever the answer, it needs to be answered … and soon.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Conflicting stories
For Oscar Grant, the New Year only lasted about two hours.
The 22-year-old San Leandro resident reportedly was part of two groups of men who had been fighting on a Dublin-Pleasanton bound train when BART police boarded and removed them. As the men were detained on the Fruitvale station platform, Grant was fatally shot, leaving behind a 4-year-old daughter.
To those outside the Bay Area, this incident may seem like law enforcement officers who in doing their job to control unruliness, accidently shot a man who later died at the hospital. For those of us who live in the East Bay – specifically Oakland – this looks like another case of law enforcement covering their shields to look good.
Why was an unarmed man, laying or sitting on the ground, shot? If Grant and the other men were handcuffed prior to his being shot, why were guns and Tasers drawn and ready to fire? BART officials confirm that none of the men detained were armed so why did one officer feel a gun was more warranted than a Taser?
Do BART police know how hard it is for someone sitting or laying down with their hands cuffed behind their back to stand and come at them with no warning? If Grant wasn’t handcuffed when he was shot, why were handcuffs placed on him while he was injured … and then removed “before the media got there,” according to witnesses?
Oh … the story gets better. Allegedly, none of the station cameras were working to record the incident. However, after review, one camera was functioning – of course, the one that captured nothing to help BART’s case.
The mother of Grant’s daughter has hired civil rights attorney John Burris to handle the case. And that’s a good thing.
Too many times our young men are shot and/or killed under questionable circumstances. And too many times these men are of color and don’t have the means or voice to have a violation of their civil rights investigated properly.
Burris’ voice is one that people listen to and I hope it will force BART officials and the officers involved in the shooting incident to tell the truth.
Accidents do happen and will. But lying about it and/or covering up what really happened – even a small part of it – is just as bad as shooting someone intentionally.
And plain and simple … that’s wrong.
The 22-year-old San Leandro resident reportedly was part of two groups of men who had been fighting on a Dublin-Pleasanton bound train when BART police boarded and removed them. As the men were detained on the Fruitvale station platform, Grant was fatally shot, leaving behind a 4-year-old daughter.
To those outside the Bay Area, this incident may seem like law enforcement officers who in doing their job to control unruliness, accidently shot a man who later died at the hospital. For those of us who live in the East Bay – specifically Oakland – this looks like another case of law enforcement covering their shields to look good.
Why was an unarmed man, laying or sitting on the ground, shot? If Grant and the other men were handcuffed prior to his being shot, why were guns and Tasers drawn and ready to fire? BART officials confirm that none of the men detained were armed so why did one officer feel a gun was more warranted than a Taser?
Do BART police know how hard it is for someone sitting or laying down with their hands cuffed behind their back to stand and come at them with no warning? If Grant wasn’t handcuffed when he was shot, why were handcuffs placed on him while he was injured … and then removed “before the media got there,” according to witnesses?
Oh … the story gets better. Allegedly, none of the station cameras were working to record the incident. However, after review, one camera was functioning – of course, the one that captured nothing to help BART’s case.
The mother of Grant’s daughter has hired civil rights attorney John Burris to handle the case. And that’s a good thing.
Too many times our young men are shot and/or killed under questionable circumstances. And too many times these men are of color and don’t have the means or voice to have a violation of their civil rights investigated properly.
Burris’ voice is one that people listen to and I hope it will force BART officials and the officers involved in the shooting incident to tell the truth.
Accidents do happen and will. But lying about it and/or covering up what really happened – even a small part of it – is just as bad as shooting someone intentionally.
And plain and simple … that’s wrong.
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