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Video: Calif. cop shoots apparently helpless man in the back
David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Raw Story
Tuesday, Jan 6, 2008
Two videos showing a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer fatally shooting an unarmed, cooperating 22-year-old man have surfaced, thanks to a vigilant teen and an anonymous cameraman.
According to officials, five officers arrived at a subway station around 2 a.m. in response to reports of fighting on a train. Officers handcuffed a group of suspects, and detained the soon-to-be victim, Oscar Grant III.
In both videos, though detained, Grant had clearly not been cuffed.
Mario Pangelina Jr., aunt to Grant’s four-year-old daughter, witnessed the events leading up to the shooting.
“First, an officer grabbed Oscar by the neck and pushed him against the wall,” the Oakland Tribune quoted her as saying. “Oscar didn’t fight him, but he didn’t go down either. He was like, ‘What did I do?’ Then another officer came up with his Taser and held it right in his face. Oscar said, ‘Please don’t shoot me, please don’t Taser me, I have a daughter,’ over and over again, real fast, and he sat down.”
Footage captured by camera-phone-wielding Karina Vargas, 19, shows officers had detained several men. Over the proceeding minutes, officers become defensive as groups of yelling youths stand on the periphery and meander past.
(Article continues below)
At one point, a male shouts, “Yo, f–k the police!”
Vargas several times makes attempts to get closer. When her camera focuses on Grant, he is sitting with his back against a wall, surrounded by others in handcuffs. He holds up his hands, apparently speaking with the officers, when they force him to the ground.
Two officers struggle to turn him over, even as he appears to be strewn across another man’s legs, when suddenly one of the men retrieves his gun from its holster.
At this point in Vargas’ video, she turns to her immediate left and focuses on an officer wrestling another man to the ground. Then, the shot rings out.
San Francisco’s KTVU aired a second video clip from an anonymous witness. In it, Grant is clearly pinned by two officers and completely immobile. Then, without provocation, the officer at Grant’s waist draws his weapon and fires.
After the gunshot, as the audio track dissolves into indiscernible shouting and commotion, an enraged onlooker hurls an object at the police. Vargas retreats to her train and peeks the camera at the officers again.
“They just shot him! They just shot him!” she yells. “… I got you, mothaf–kers!”
The victim was fatally wounded when the bullet passed through his back, hit the ground, and ricocheted into his lungs. He died in a hospital several hours later.
Grant’s mother and daughter are being represented by civil rights attorney John Burris, who has a history of work on police abuse issues, including the beating of Rodney King. At a Sunday news conference, Burris called the incident “without a doubt, the most unconscionable shooting I have ever seen.”
A person close to the investigation told the San Francisco Chronicle that BART officials are looking into the possibility that the officer thought he was firing a Taser and pulled out his gun by mistake.
Last June, a Maryland district court found that an officer who shot a fleeing suspect in the elbow while believing he was firing his Taser was not guilty of violating the suspect’s rights against unreasonable search and seizure.
Burris has announced a civil suit against BART for $25 million. He has also recommended that charges of second-degree murder or manslaughter be filed against the officer.
“It’s pretty clear from the tape and from witnesses that he wasn’t doing anything of a threatening nature to the officer,” Burris said at a Jan. 4 press conference.
He added that he’s seen footage from three other cameras that captured Grant’s slaying.
The Bay Area police are appealing to the public for “calm.”
“We are taking this investigation very seriously,” said Chief Gary Gee during a Sunday press conference. “As frustrating as it is, I want to stress that we cannot and will not jeopardize this case by discussing details before the investigation is complete.”
This video is raw footage from Vargas’ cell phone, captured Jan. 1, 2009 in San Francisco.
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32 Responses to “Video: Calif. cop shoots apparently helpless man in the back”
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January 6th, 2009 at 6:03 am
so wheres the video?
January 6th, 2009 at 6:04 am
The police of today sort of remind me of the SS in europe
January 6th, 2009 at 6:31 am
SECOND THAT! Wheres the video LINKS
January 6th, 2009 at 6:51 am
I see more and more of this in the news everyday. Cops just running around KILLING innocent citizens and getting away with it.
Alarm bells are ringing
January 6th, 2009 at 7:19 am
The cops carry their tasers weakside, crossdraw. They can’t “accidentally” draw the wrong weapon.
Oakland needs to get “Greek” on their murderous “public servants”.
Mark Reply:
January 20th, 2009 at 1:55 am
Wrong… same side. Not to say its not horrible, just the comment “The cops carry their tasers weakside, crossdraw. They can’t “accidentally” draw the wrong weapon.”
Thats the one good thing that may come of this, the side of the taser should be switched to a cross-draw
January 6th, 2009 at 8:30 am
The video ban be found on Youtube with the title:
POLICE FATALLY SHOOT UNARMED MAN – Laying Face Down and Shot in The Back! CAUGHT ON VIDEO!
January 6th, 2009 at 9:22 am
filthy cowardly pigs need to understand the consequences of their unlawful actions
that pig who pulled the trigger should get the death penalty
January 6th, 2009 at 9:48 am
I ready, I will be at the BART looking for that punk chump! I will also be backed by the great people of this republic. It time to TAKE THE POWER BACK!!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 10:39 am
This is no accident. This is by design. There is no SERVE AND PROTECT, there is only oppress and exterminate. How many people can sit by while this madness continues. Get your family out of the US before its too lake. I moved to Costa Rica and am extremely happy with my choice. I can help others, but you must act now
centuryfortuna@ice.co.cr
January 6th, 2009 at 11:39 am
i got pulled over on a pedal bike the other day… lucky chump i am usually strapped… its always been a dream of mine to catch one of of these pussies eating dinner with his family and draw on him or taser his ass just because… then whisper in his ear that “you can be touched”, i want to have the same effect on them that they have on us… i just want to make one strip in the street and then watch as i shock him for NOTHING AT ALL, then maybe blow out his knees and let him live to tell the horror of a man with no fears, no gods, no nothing, destroying his life like they have done to mine… i want them to suffer for these actions…. do your research you IQ has to be BELOW a certain level to even be a PIG, i would rather be a sheep… locked and loaded waiting for a mistake!
January 6th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Here’s a link http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aXAETrZghn0 or you can type in Bart shooting there are actually more home made videos showing different angles. This is stunning like the Rodney King beating. The Bart cop has the victim down on his stomach, another officer is controlling him and takes out his gun and shoots him in the back. Now if everyone was excercising their 2nd ammendment rights and was armed I don’t think the cop would have dreamed of doing this.
January 6th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
HERE ARE VIDEO LINKS:
BART shooting,filmed from train
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b86_1231214111
January 6th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
HERE ARE VIDEO LINKS:
BART shooting,filmed from train
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b86_1231214111
January 6th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
I saw the video. Another on the spot execution from a thug wearing a badge. Arm yourselves.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAHjhtYZpX0
January 6th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Woop-woop!
That’s the sound of da police!
Woop-woop!
That’s the sound of the beast!
January 6th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Thought he was using his taser, there is a huge diferance in wieght between a gun and a taser pistol, you don’t chamber a taser or cock it like a gun, gun has a safety, like a gun. tasers dont not and tasers are brite yellow, not black, So the cops story or the police story is bull shit on its face trying to justify this murder. Cop is either incompetent or insane, from what I seen it was a “summary execution”, the cop methodically drew his weapon aimed and fired. He is guilty of 1st degree “Murder” with weapon enhancements charges. his fellow officers should have drew down on him, Make him get face down in the concrete then cuffed and stuff him. That kidd offered little if no resistance. face down surrounded by filthy corrupt cops. F-ck California. every American Citizen needs to be packing a gun, Then arrest rouge cops like these, the police would have gravyed thier pants if a mob drew down on them, I seen mobs charging police during the Los Angles riots. they run like dogs with thier tails between thier legs. Imagine an armed mob. I saw the cops standing around trying to figure a way to clean this crime scene up they were confussed and scared, to many witnesses, all of the cops, knew they were screwed, And Title 42 U.S.C. 1983, 85, 86. Title 18, 242, 243, U.S. crim code. is flashing through thier pee brains they are figuring how to cover this up. and what kind of absurd story can they create,, what excuse can we use, “Oh” I thought it was my taser. There was not even an excuse to deploy a taser. subject was compliant. And was this on national news?. I did’t see it. the police are exercising an extra consitutional form of anarchy. They are above the law.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
I HOPE TO SEE RIOTS BECAUSE OF THIS REMEMBER THE L.A. RIOTS LETS DO IT AGAIN BUT LETS DO IT RIGHT LETS SHOW THE TRUE CRIMINALS HOW JUSTICE IS SERVED.WHEN WILL WE THE PEOPLE STAND UP FOR OURSELVES THE TIME IS NOW NOW NOW NOW
January 6th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
This was nothing more than a summary execution for contempt of cop. ARM YOURSELVES PEOPLE, YOU MUST! And the second a cop attempts to detain or harass you, don’t attempt to reason with him, just shoot first and take off. It’s for your own survival, and you’ll probably never get caught.
For every person killed by an out of control officer, the PEOPLE should snipe FIVE of them. That would put a stop to this shit right quick.
I would even go so far as to say the chief of police and or district attorney should be targeted if ALL the officers involved are not immediately arrested and charged. WHAT INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED? WE HAVE IT ON VIDEO, there is no ‘context’ that could justify this. WHAT IS THE DELAY? IF IT WAS ANYBODY BUT A COP DOING THE SHOOTING, that person would be in jail, right now.
These pigs are a gang, they will stick together and cover each others ass no matter what the crimes of their fellow gang members. Therefore collective punishment against them is fully justified, as they are all guilty of siding and giving aid and comfort to brutal murderers. THERE ARE NO GOOD COPS.
If you don’t act now, what will it take? Arm yourselves now, and get creative. Collectively punish these pigs now, their reign of terror must END NOW.
I strongly urge people to work on revealing the identities of all officers involved in this incident and target them for direct action. Also, if this isn’t on your local news, you should call and perhaps visit in person your local TV station’s news director. Don’t be afraid to visit him at home and ask why this story has been kept out of the news.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I saw the tape, it was cold-blooded murder. I hope the victim’s family collects millions. Any jury would hand it over. Bankrupt BART and put this evil murderer under the jail for life with no parole.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
This is not the first story of Police Killing “sacrificing” innocent civilians after the New Year in ‘09. Hail the culture of greed, death, and subservience to any perceived authority figure.
Remember to invest in the new currency of ‘09, lead.
January 6th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
That’s right, you talk back to a God and you die. No Judge, no Jury, No Due Process – Just death. And this is only the cops… Wait until the military gets a hold of us when we put up a fuss about the coming bank holiday.
January 6th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
My heart feels very heavy when I see people being treated like an insect.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
THIS SHIT HAS GOT TO STOP !!!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
How many cases have there been when the officer thought he was pulling his gun when he then fired his taser? All of these cases will now need to be reviewed.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
I don’t think the guy knew he was being video taped. It looked a lot like murder to me.
January 7th, 2009 at 2:09 am
EVERYONE WHO WANT 2 EXPOSE THE NWO NEEDS 2 DO THE FOLLOWING….
WRITE ON EVERY PAPER CURRENCY IN YOUR POSITION THE FOLLOWING…
*INFOWARS.COM
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IT YOU REALLY WANT TO GET THE WORD OUT FASTER, YOU NEED 2 DO WHAT I STATED ABOVE…
GOOD LUCK 2 EVERYONE AND GOOD LUCK 2MANKIND…………
January 7th, 2009 at 9:22 am
When they find that not one of the officers present at the platform
at BART Train Station had in there possession a Tazer this will
greatly discredit the “I thought it was my Tazer excuse”.
January 8th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Do not engage with the police. Do not deal with them. They have lost their authority, ney they have given over their authority to thugs and criminals. Righteous persons shoud not need to fear a police state…the US is gone. We must build a new State based upon the original tenants of our Constituion. We must stop giving power to these sadistic freaks! Every person needs to act on his or own to do the next right thing; so not fall into the “go along to get along” mentality. Stand for your rights and the rights of all persons teh GOD given rights as per our founding fathers (God of Nature, as you wish to interpret that).
Just had to vent……
Peace
Ron
January 8th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
ethanplg reminds you of the ss huh? how old are you? you think you have idea but don’t! i think it is wrong to put all cops in the same boat. there are good and bad. just like people. because thats who we are. no way at all I am saying he was right but to judge all cops like that, sounds like you want to take the rights from another! now who is the ss! maybe if the people giving the cops problems would of back off one of the good one’s could have prervented this! to the family of grant there is nothing to say to make you feel better but i hope justice is served to the one who did the shooting.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:37 am
The same thing took place a month ago, in Greece. A policeman shot (murdered) a 15 years old child, Alexis Grigoropoulos.
The last month, all Greeks have rise against the government and the police.
Same shits happened all over the world.