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Indybay Feature

BART claims officers defended themselves against Oscar Grant and not at fault in murder

by coverup central
BART is claiming in its defense against the civil suit brought against it for the murder of Oscar Grant that the officers on the platform January 1st were defending themselves against an unruly passenger and were not at fault in the execution of Oscar Grant. Had they not responded with force against Grant, the former grocery store worker would have beaten them. Yes, beaten them. The cops that night were an armed gang - pushing, striking, illegally detaining, threatening, and harassing Oscar Grant and his friends without cause. The cops were armed with guns, tasers, and clubs. They had radios and more. Sit, kneel, lay down -- Oscar Grant and his friends did everything the cops said to do. And THE COPS were the ones who were afraid and just defending themselves?!? This is pathetic, and UNacceptable. It is the same defense cops always use when they shoot unarmed people. They play up this imaginary fear they had that lead to the killing. BART cops used it when they shot Jerrold Hall in the back of the head with a shotgun and BART's using it again after they shot Oscar Grant in the back.
"Oscar Grant willfully, wrongfully, and unlawfully made an assault upon defendants and would have beaten, bruised, and ill-treated them if defendants had not immediately defended themselves," the response said. "(The) defendants necessarily and unavoidably came in contact with decedent Oscar Grant and threatened him, but no more than was necessary for said defense."

We must fight this. It can not stand!

They have the power and the money. They have the local and state politicians cowed by police unions. They have the DA in their pockets. What do we have? We have our creativity and our dedication to justice. Let's get busy people. The time is now. Do what you can where you can when you can. But do it. Do something.

Post your ideas and responses here.


Read more if you have the stomach.

Oakland Trib
http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_12065114

SF Chron
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/04/03/state/n184921D77.DTL
Add Your Comments

Comments (Hide Comments)
by nojusticenobart
Come join us THIS THURSDAY at 9am at 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA.
Its the third floor. Meet us early though, we'll be gathering downstairs
at 8:30.

Its time to put justice back on the agenda at the BART Board!
If BART takes the position that there was no civil rights violation and that it is not liable, what that tells its cops is this:

"We will not only defend you and us from suits of this nature, but we also think you did nothing wrong; so by all means feel free to do it again, and if someone else sues you (us) again, we will defend you (us) just like we're doing right now."

BART's position is loud and clear, so the only way things can change is through public pressure. The protests should continue and in fact should get larger.
by a-feminist
"BART's position is loud and clear, so the only way things can change is through public pressure."

Yup, they've definitely drawn a line in the sand with this one.

"The protests should continue and in fact should get larger."

As well they should.
by Joseph Anderson, Berkeley
...did we expect?

If boardroom "investigations" and intellectual or moral reason ALONE could end police brutality and stop killer cops, then police brutality -- WHICH HAS RISEN TO A 21ST CENTURY MODERN EPIDEMIC OF LYNCHINGS BY COP BULLETS -- would have ended a llllonggg time ago.

A lot *more* people are going to like my formal commentary, "The ‘Karmic Justice’ of Lovelle Mixon’s Act", now.

Only spontaneous and coordinated ACTIONS (individual, group or mass action) IN THE STREETS have ever put Amerikkka in check -- ONLY THEN have at least some reforms in the system followed.
by "Justifiable Homicide" -- AGAIN!
"Had they not responded with force against Grant, the former grocery store worker would have beaten them. Yes, beaten them."

...the COPS were the victims.
by Anonny
Never Forgive.....Never Forget!
by ;
yeah right,pigs are liars get em off tha planet!
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