Latest Clearest Video of the Bart Shooting

I haven't blogged about this on purpose yet. But I feel, after seeing this latest video that maybe I need to. A friend of mine broke this story to me early New Years day via a clip on youtube that didn't make the news. I started sending it to people (I guess everyone else who saw it did too) and it eventually made it to Channel 2. From here people started sending in cell phone videos, and the story gained traction. On New Years Bart said that there was a struggle and that this was necessary action. Upon all of my viewings there wasn't even a reason to pull a taser, like the officer, who was not issued a taser, said he was reaching for. It would be hard to explain to me, how you mistake a taser (which the other officer shown says didn't make sense because the tasers are on the left side) for a gun. Especially when you have to unstrap and then unlock the safety.

In the first two videos it seemed that maybe the cop wanted to strong-arm Grant with his gun, or use unecessary force and just happened to fire. But this video, I don't know. It just seems like the 2 year rookie just let one off.

I went to the pre-riot rally at Fruitvale Bart because the whole story is apalling. Oakland has been incubating a level of unrest for a few years now. I had a Minnesota transplant tell me about how he loves the Bay, but it's the wild west out here. 100 Black men get killed a year and no one does anything. It's not even news. It's everyone for themselves. You couple that, with police dominance and brutality, gentrification, poverty, and poor organization and leadership (and leadershp that fails to properly represent you), and this is what you're left with. A group of people who are incredibly repressed lashing out at an act of senseless violence.

Was rioting and tearing up our city the answer? No. The victims of the smashed windows and burned cars had nothing to do with this. But can I understand the level of rage and anger? Yes. There is no where to put it. I've seen on the forums people in other cities saying why didn't the people on the train stop the struggle, or the friends of Grant, why didn't they stop the cop. I'd like to say this to answer anyone's questions on that 1. Who knew they were going to shoot him like this? 2. Who would actually stop an altercation between a cop and anyone, technically that's illegal. Who thinks like that? And anyone in a forum who wants to say they would, PLEASE come to Oakland. We could use your help. And lastly 3. This is what happens when we (Black people) interact with cops out here. It's not too different than the Robbie Tolan shooting that happened in Texas the day before. So if you want to help run interference on police with us, please, you're welcome to.

If this cop does not go to jail, with three investigations behind him (Bart police, Oakland Police, FBI) then the situation in Oakland is going to escalate to epic proportions. It may not be this single event, but it is egging on the inevitable in a city of unrest. I will not naively say that all cops are wrong, or that their jobs are easy. It is one of the most thankless jobs to take. But I will say, that something like this, is the reason why we have no faith in the system and will continue to react the way we do. Watching a riot squad, clad in all black with black vans ready to remove people and take them... I don't know where. That's not a scene I ever want to see again. And I have a feeling the rest of Oakland doesn't either. There will be two taxes the people put upon police from now on that I can foresee, we will be filming them, and we may begin interfering. The latter may spark an even larger authority problem.
I pray for my city.