Oscar Grant murdered by Oakland police in cold blood
Written by Michael Vass
Can we even start a year without something racial happening in this country? I have already spoken about my thoughts concerning the Muslim family that were subjected to fear and discrimination while trying to take a flight. But this is something far worse.
On New Years eve, hours into the start of the New Year, police shot a young Black man. In the back. While he was laying face down. And I bet most in the nation are only learning about this today, a week into the month just like me.
Now some may have seen the highly edited video of this murder, as shown by ABC News and a local television station. I warn my viewers this is disturbing, real, and murder in my opinion.
Here are details that are currently known and visible from the video. Police were called to the Oakland train station reportedly because of a fight. Once there we see that initially 2 officers had control over 3 or 4 men, who were co-operating. The crowd observing the event made the officers nervous, as another 5 officers arrived on the scene. Oscar Grant, 22 years old, is seen standing at one point though it is not clear why. The officers have him kneel and then place him face first on the ground. Oscar seems to be handcuffed this entire time. He moves on the ground and one of 3 officers restraining him places his knee on Grant’s neck. As this happens another officer, a 2 year veteran, casually stands back, reaches for his gun and fires into the back of Grant killing him.
Another view of this entire incident can be seen below.
This is raw footage. The key moments are from 1:56 - 2:57 . It is clear at 2:37 that 32 officers, joined by a third, are nervous but controlling a crowd that are busy observing the event and video taping it. At 2:52 you can see the officer draw his gun, with 2 officers holding Grant down, 3 officers holding the crowd (4 people apparently and an unknown amount in the subway car) and I believe one other officer in the background.
While the situation was not pleasant, none of the men on the ground were endangering the officers. The crowd was at a distance. and 3 men were close getting video. One of those men was taken down by one officer, but the rest of them were unencumbered or endanger. I say that both from their stance and the video footage of the crowd.
There is no question of the guilt of the officer that fired. There was no threat. Not from Grant, the other men on the ground, nor the crowd. There were 6 or 7 officers at the location that can be observed, with an unknown amount in transit. While quite vocal, the crowd maintained a wide distance, with the exception of 3 men that were under constant observation by no less than 2 officers.
This was a murder.
A murder committed by a police officer, on an unarmed, defenseless Black man. Again. And some dare tell me that I have no reason to fear the police. That stories about the consistent, coast to coast murder of Black men by police is a lie. That this is just a coincidence.
If all that were true, then why has this taken 6 days to be released to the nation? Why has no major media network covered this story nationally? Why is ABC News providing a highly edited video that places doubt on the cause of this event, when I found several videos of this event on youtube in 10 seconds that are clear on what happened.
The innocent can stand in the light of day, and were this murder justified in any way the police would have made it national an hour after it happened. But it is not. And only now, with the family suing for $25 million is it catching attention.
And I think the family deserves far more. A father of a 4 year old daughter has been killed in cold blood for no justifiable reason. A family has lost a son. There is no proper price, but obviously in California the $50 million paid to Rodney King was not enough to make a point.
How can anyone look at this video, and recall the deaths of Sean Bell, the beating of Rodney King, Amidou Diallo, and so many other events - each year - and not wonder if Black men have bull’s eye’s painted on their backs that police see.
I am angry. At the news media for hiding this for days. At the police department in Oakland for pretending that there could be any justification for this act. They are claiming the officer might have been trying to draw his taser. If so, once his hand was on the gun didn’t he know the difference. Once he drew the gun and saw it, why didn’t he replace it. And why did he fire when 2 officers had control of Grant on the ground?
And I am insanely angry at the officer. he is a murderer. He needs to be in jail right now. Because I guarantee if I killed a White man who was on the ground, defenseless, and a father of a child there would be national outrage. I’d be in a jail immediately. And the only question would be if I would get electrocuted. And all that is without a video tape.
Justice in America is not colorblind. Like the news media and police across the nation it seems to be color bound.
