Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Grandpa Shooter on January 08, 2009, 03:26:12 PM
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(CNN) -- Protests erupted shortly after a young man killed by a subway police officer was laid to rest in Oakland on Wednesday night, according to local media and iReporters.
Oscar Grant, 22, was killed January 1 in a shooting at a subway station in California's Bay Area.
The Oakland Police Department made 105 arrests, including a mass arrest of about 80 people at 11 p.m., said Officer Jeff Thomason. The charges include inciting a riot, vandalism, assault on a police officer and unlawful assembly, he said.
One officer was injured, but not seriously, Thomason said.
Footage from CNN affiliate KTVU-TV showed demonstrators rampaging through the streets of Oakland, California, protesting the death of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old father who was killed on New Year's Day in a crowded train station.
Some protesters lay on their stomachs, saying they were showing solidarity with Grant, who was shot in the back as he was face-down on the floor at a train station. Watch angry protesters in Oakland »
Several witnesses caught the incident on camera, and there have been numerous demonstrations this week. The protests turned violent Wednesday night after Grant's funeral and following an announcement by authorities that Officer Johannes Mehserle, who is implicated in the shooting, had turned in his resignation.
Videos from witnesses show Mehserle shoot Grant in the back as another Bay Area Rapid Transit officer kneels on Grant. A BART spokesman has said there is more to the story than what can be seen on the grainy images. Watch the events preceding the shooting »
Oakland police tried to keep protesters at bay Wednesday night as they smashed car windshields and storefront windows. KTVU footage shows one protester jumping up and down on a police car hood, while another demonstrator pushes a flaming Dumpster up against it.
"We live a life of fear, and we want them to be afraid tonight," an unnamed female protester said. iReport.com: BART protests turn violent
The protests began peacefully about 3:30 p.m. with about 500 people gathering at the Fruitvale station where the shooting occurred last week, Thomason said.
Soon, a group of about 150 protesters surrounded a police officer. Fearing for his safety, Thomason said, "the decision was made to use chemical agents to protect that police officer."
The crowd calmed down, but then a contingent of protesters turned violent again, smashing windows and setting cars on fire, he said. Police tried to disperse the crowd and warned five times that anyone who didn't leave would be arrested.
At about 8:30 p.m. police started making arrests. One person was arrested after carrying a firearm; another faces charges of possessing suspected crack cocaine, Thomason said.
The crowd finally dispersed about 11 p.m. after police hemmed in a crowd of rowdy protesters at the downtown intersection of 20th Street and Broadway. There, police cuffed 80 protesters, Thomason said.
"If people want to peacefully protest, we're all for that," he said. "If it's peaceful, we're all for it. We're not going to stand in the way of people saying what they want to say."
This was not the case Wednesday night, Thomason said, warning that police would be out in force again Thursday night to make sure any protests remain orderly.
David Chai, chief of staff for Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, said Dellums was "out and about" in the streets Wednesday, urging protesters to exercise their frustration productively. Dellums also announced that the Oakland Police Department was conducting its own investigation into the matter.
"The mayor's involvement was essentially to try to calm everybody down," Chai said. "He obviously expressed some frustration with the process."
He said Oakland residents also were "rightfully" frustrated that the investigation has gone on for a week with little development.
Thomason said Oakland police will either work alongside BART in its investigation or take the probe over, but no decisions have been made.
BART spokesman Linton Johnson said Wednesday that Mehserle's attorney has advised his client not to speak to authorities. BART released a statement Wednesday saying the officer's attorney and a union representative had handed in his resignation letter.
Attorney Christopher Miller released a statement confirming his client's resignation, effective Wednesday.
"Officer Mehserle's resignation should allow BART to get back to the business of managing regional transportation and allow the Alameda County district attorney to take primary responsibility for reviewing this matter," the statement said.
Johnson told CNN on Wednesday that Mehserle had received death threats.
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 before the shooting.
The Grant family attorney, John Burris, is pushing Orloff to press criminal charges against Mehserle. Burris has also filed a $25 million claim with BART, alleging wrongful death. Read the claim (PDF)
"Without so much as flinching the Officer Mehserle stood over Grant and mercilessly fired his weapon, mortally wounding Mr. Grant with a single gunshot wound to the back," the claim alleges.
BART has until late February to respond.
Burris said that the young men had been celebrating the new year at a popular waterfront tourist spot, The Embarcadero. They were heading home when police pulled them from the train car about 2 a.m.
Witness videos show Grant and two other men sitting against a wall in the Fruitvale station after being pulled off the train. BART reported that they had received a report of an altercation on the train.
Police are seen putting Grant face-down on the ground. Grant appears to struggle. One of the officers kneels on Grant as another officer stands, tugs at his gun, unholsters it and fires a shot into Grant's back.
There have been unconfirmed reports that Mehserle may have mistook his gun for a Taser, but Burris is not swayed.
"My view is, this is criminal conduct, period," he said.
BART Police Chief Gary Gee released a statement this week expressing condolences for Grant's family and saying the authority is cooperating with Orloff's office.
A statement Wednesday said BART "will continue to seek and examine all available evidence and will continue its full cooperation with the ongoing independent investigation by the district attorney."
Is this an isolated incident, or are we going to see this sort of thing escalating as the economy continues its slide. Historically, there are more of these in down times than good times. I suppose it is the heightened tension from poor economic times that creates a charged atmosphere. I certainly hope we aren't heading down that path.
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The shooting was deplorable. But protesting by tearing up your own neighborhood? It doesn't speak to highly of the quality of people there.
Brad
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There have been unconfirmed reports that Mehserle may have mistook his gun for a Taser, but Burris is not swayed.
Don't tasers usually have yellow markings and look much different than an actual handgun? I've never handled one but I bet they feel different too. Plus the fact that it's in your other holster...
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Pretty stupid of the cop to jump in order to avoid the official inquiry, they will no doubt (deservedly, as it appears) throw him to the wolves now.
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The shooting was deplorable. But protesting by tearing up your own neighborhood? It doesn't speak to highly of the quality of people there.
Brad
From other reports, a number of the "protestors" came to Oakland from other cities in the area, so they weren't necessarily tearing up their own neighborhood.
Agreed, both the shooting and the rioting are deplorable.
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Don't these people read the news? There's change!!
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We live a life of fear, and we want them to be afraid tonight," an unnamed female protester said
Makes sense: But be pissed at the cops and take your anger out on them not locals. Burn down the cop shop. That would make a bigger impression on the cops than destroying the personal property of local citizens.
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Makes sense: But be pissed at the cops and take your anger out on them not locals. Burn down the cop shop. That would make a bigger impression on the cops than destroying the personal property of local citizens.
Don't give them any ideas, I like the moonbats to be stupid.
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Sigh. Silly Oaklanders. Find a large body of water, dump all the donuts and coffee in the city into it. It'll make more of an impression on the police than torching their station.
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Makes sense: But be pissed at the cops and take your anger out on them not locals. Burn down the cop shop. That would make a bigger impression on the cops than destroying the personal property of local citizens.
then they'll have to pay for that to be rebuilt. much as i sympathize with their frustration, i have never understood what they expect to get out of a riot (short of lynching mehserle).
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"The Oakland Donut Party"... now there is a buzz phrase destined for fame ;)
Tiger
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Makes sense: But be pissed at the cops and take your anger out on them not locals. Burn down the cop shop. That would make a bigger impression on the cops than destroying the personal property of local citizens.
Yes, but that'd require planning. And thought. And actually understanding things like morality (not that attacking police stations is justified, but it is a bit better than attacking people not responsible for this injustice).
Rather than being a useless mob looking for excuses to attack defenseless people.
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Why don't they attack police stations? Because the cops have guns, that's why.
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Why don't they attack police stations? Because the cops have guns, that's why.
Thus me mentioning 'defenseless people'.
Pogrommers are bullies and cowards.
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Lynching? burn the copshop? all fail. This shooter has probably moved himself without forwarding address.
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America 2009 = Rhodesia 1978
The brave new world is here to stay
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Mehserle has been found guilty and faces up to 14 years in prison (not sure what the minimum could be) -- and now the feds have finally woke up and are looking into federal charges.
And the riots have started in Oakland. WTF? I suspect it's just hooliganism rather than some kind of protest. They were planning to riot when the trial was over no matter what the outcome.
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America 2009 = Rhodesia 1978
The brave new world is here to stay
Just crawl out of the bunker to drop that insightful tidbit on us?
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the first store broken into and looted was the Footlocker sneaker store.
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the first store broken into and looted was the Footlocker sneaker store.
Well The Man who has his shoe on the neck of the people shops there.
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Someone trashed a Tacoma Police Department car last night as a result of the Oakland verdict.
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Tacoma-patrol-car-vandalism-linked-to-Oakland-protests-98106149.html
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sigh theres some recently released vid of the actual shooting
in the old days they used 12 bore and birdshot to stop riots
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Watching the video, I'd say the sentence was just.
You see the officer put his hands on his head after shooting, denoting a pretty clear sentiment of "ZOMG! I just did that?". Criminal, but definitely no premeditation.
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But the black man was murdered. His mother said so ... many, many times. What'sa matta, r u deef?
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The news story I read said the demonstrators were demonstrating by looting a shoe store and a jewelry store.
That ought to get their message across!
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About 3/4 of the arrested riots weren't local, just visiting anarchists. :mad:
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About 3/4 of the arrested riots weren't local, just visiting anarchists. :mad:
gonna get me some kicks man
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I myself feel like rioting sometimes, but I'm not sure how to do it ... =|
What would I do - chop down a pine tree ... cut a barbwire fence ???
:P
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I myself feel like rioting sometimes, but I'm not sure how to do it ... =|
What would I do - chop down a pine tree ... cut a barbwire fence ???
:P
Stampede the cattle through town.
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Stampede the cattle through town.
That's a long ways to go from here. :(
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That's a long ways to go from here. :(
Oh I see -- you're one of those armchair rioters. Get up off your lazy butt and go squish some bird's nests or tip some cows or something.
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Oh I see -- you're one of those armchair rioters. Get up off your lazy butt and go squish some bird's nests or tip some cows or something.
Nearest town is 17 miles away, although a bit shorter if I cut fences and stampede the neighbors' cows into town.
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what no bison? stampede those and they will open fences for you. quite surprising how quick a big critter they are and good jumpers too
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The news story I read said the demonstrators were demonstrating by looting a shoe store and a jewelry store.
That ought to get their message across!
Oakland being in California, I'm surprised they didn't demonstrate their ire by looting the medical marijuana stores . . .
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Anyone wonder how the the riot would've been had that cop accidentally killed a white guy?
Thought so ;/
It's not a story, then.