All Eyes on the Oscar Grant Trial in Los Angeles..It's Outcome Will Impact Police Brutality Cases Everywhere

All eyes are on the city of Oakland, California where the mood is tense and every one eagerly awaits the verdict to one of the most controversial trials around a police shooting in this country's history. It involves the shooting death of 24 year old Oscar Grant by former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle who was caught on tape New year's morning 2009, shooting an unarmed Grant while he lay face dawn at point blank range.

It's the first time in the state's history that a police officer is facing murder charges for shooting someone while on duty. The task of achieving this was the result of 18 long months oif unprecedented community organizing and strategic pressuring. Jurors are currently deliberating in Los Angeles where the trial was moved.

The Oscar Grant murder trial is historic and has everyone around the country on edge because of past high profile police shootings like the ones where unarmed Sean Bell and Amadou Diallo were shot 50 and 41 times and officers were acquitted. The Grant trial suggest a true shot at justice and would be a strong boost to those who have lomng fought against police brutality.

For those who are unfamiliar here's recap. On the eve of President Barack Obama being sworn into office and becoming the nation's first African American President, the country was in an upbeat, hopeful mood. Many were eagerly anticipating the change that Obama campaigned on..

That euphoric feeling was shattered in the wee hours of New Year's morning 2009 when 24 year old Oscar Grant was shot and killed face down in front of hundred of passengers on an Oakland, California subway (BART) station.

Grant who was unarmed was detained with several of his friends as police sought to find out who was involved in a fight that was reported on the train. Grant and his folks although detained were not involved in a fight and the officer who shot him Johannes Mehserle had a history of violence both on and off the force. Even more troubling was moments before Grant was shot one of the officer's on the platform Tony Pirone called Grant a 'Bitch Ass Nigger'.

Grants murder was a harsh reminder that even with a Black man in the white house and a Black man (Eric Holder) holding down the Attorney General post, business as usual especially along racial lines had not subsided. The brazeness of the police officers was an all to familiar reminder about the sordid relationship between white cops and Black males.

7 days after the Grant killing, no city official or the district attorney had stepped forward to adress the issue, the lack of leadership set off a rebellion/riot that evening in the streets of Oakland. The date was Januray 7th 2009. It was also the same day as Grant's funeral.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMgccsq1IyM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIVKWc8pdj0

Sadly that fateful morning Grant was killed two other police shootings took place in other parts of the country. One was in New Orleans with 22 year old Adolph Grimes a man with no criminal record who was shot 12 times in the back by undercover cops. His shooting death set off firestorm of protests in New Orleans and led to an FBI investigation. Internal police investigations cleared the officers and left the many in the Black community upset.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42TfTwhrrR0

Closer to home during that fateful New Years morning there was a third high profile police shooting in Bellaire, Texas. 23 year old Robbie Tolan, son of former Cincinnati Red baseball player Bobbie Tolan. He was accused by a white officer of stealing a car that he owned in his own driveway. When his mother came out to protest and let the officer know that the man on the ground was her son, she was pushed by the officer. Tolan who had been made to lay face down in his own drive way turned around to protest his mother being pushed and was shot point blank like Grant. Fortunately he lived to tell the tale, but was left with bullets lodged in his liver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3DJuscIRC8

As mentioned earlier all eyes are on California as folks await the verdict to the Oscar Grant murder case. City leaders in Oakland have been calling for peace in anticipation that an acquittal or any other miscarriage of justice wil spark riots. many in the community have been on edge after watching the judge presiding over the case allow all African Americans to be removed from the jury and Johannes Mehserle's violent past to be excluded from testimony.

Even more troubling is him spending over 100 thousand dollars on 'expert witnesses' who told jurors the scores of videos showing Mehserle kiling Grant are not accurate and that the officer meant to grab his taser and not a gun even though one weighs ounces while the other weighs 3 or 4 pounds. Its been one heck of a rollar coaster ride. We'll keep you abreast as things unfold.