Demand justice in the killing of Oscar Grant

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Read the e-mail message that we originally sent to our members about this petition.

Here is the text of the message we'll send to California Attorney General Jerry Brown (and the one we'll send to the United States Department of Justice) unless you create your own statement.

-- Click here for letter to US Dept. of Justice -- Dear Attorney General Brown: Johannes Mehserle, the officer who killed Oscar Grant, walked free for nearly two weeks after the heinous murder. This is outrageous and unacceptable. Multiple videos of the shooting clearly show that it was unprovoked and unnecessary. But instead of treating Mehserle like any other murder suspect, the Alameda County District Attorney's office allowed him to flee to Nevada while their investigation went on. Grant's murder marks the third time in less than 20 years that the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police have shot and killed a black man in Alameda County who posed them no threat. In both previous cases, the officer who pulled the trigger was not disciplined or charged with a crime. Alameda County's District Attorney accepted BART's unconvincing justifications for the use of deadly force. When recently asked, the DA's office could not recall a single case in at least twenty years in which the county has prosecuted a police officer for a fatal shooting. I'm encouraged that the wheels of justice have begun to move with Mehserle's arrest, but without continued scrutiny they could grind to a halt at any time. That's why I'm urging the California Department of Justice to maintain an observer in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office for the duration of Mehserle's prosecution. This should be your first step in an independent investigation into the conduct of BART police and the Alameda County DA in cases of officer-involved shootings. Sincerely, [Your name] -- Click here for letter to CA Attorney General -- Dear Mr. Holder and Mr. Mukasey: I'm outraged about the shooting of Oscar Grant--an unarmed 22-year-old black man--by transit police in Oakland, California on New Year's Eve. Grant posed no threat to anyone, but was shot in the back as he lay face down on a subway platform. Despite damning video evidence, the officer who killed Grant remained free for almost two weeks, and was able to leave the state. This is part of a disturbing pattern--it's the third time in less than 20 years that the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police have shot and killed a black man who posed them no threat. In both previous cases, the officer who pulled the trigger was not disciplined or charged with a crime. BART's internal investigations determined the shootings were justified, and Alameda County's District Attorney accepted BART's unconvincing justifications for the use of deadly force. When asked, the DA's office could not recall a single case in at least 20 years in which Alameda County has prosecuted a police officer for a fatal shooting. Oscar Grant deserves justice, but it's clear that victims of police brutality and their families have the deck stacked against them. Without an aggressive, independent investigation into the circumstances of Grant's death and the behavior of county and transit authorities, public confidence in the police and the rule of law will be seriously undermined. I'm urging the US Department of Justice to launch an independent investigation into Oscar Grant's murder and into the conduct of BART police and the Alameda County DA in cases of officer-involved shootings. Sincerely, [Your name]