While former BART officer Mehserle has received a ruling of involuntary manslaughter for shooting Oscar Grant, we are still waiting for the official sentencing.
When I first heard the verdict on the news today I was happy. The words that stood out were "GUILTY" and "INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER." I immediately felt happy and relieved. But that emotion lasted for about 5 seconds. After those five seconds I asked myself, "How long is this man going to be sentenced?" Involuntary Manslaughter carries a 2-4 year sentence.
Oscar Grant was shot and killed early in the morning on New Years Day in 2009 at Fruitvale BART Station in Oakland, California. He had a daughter and a family and was shot cold-blooded in front of a group of his friends and other bystanders who were able to catch the whole atrocity on their mobile phones. Johannes Mehserle, the man who shot Grant, said that he meant to use his taser, although Oscar Grant was unarmed. This racially charged incident has gotten a lot of attention and rightfully so.
The trail was moved from the Bay Area to Los Angeles in order to ease tensions that were rising in Oakland especially since just a few months after an Oakland man shot and killed four Oakland cops in a matter of hours.
The verdict came today after a speedy three-week trial. We still don't know what this means when it comes to Mehserle's time behind bars which leaves a lot of people confused and disappointed. I have not lost hope and thus far, I think that justice has been served. Until the sentencing, which are set to be announced on August 6, 2010 I have nothing to be mad about. But if Mehserle is given a measly two years for taking a young man's life. I, unlike Mayor Ronald Dellums who said was quite ok with the verdict and was not fully behind the Grant family's disappointment, will be in Oakland, in solidarity, rioting and initiating a call to justice. Until then...I am at peace with the verdict.
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