BAY AREA // UNARMED OSCAR GRANT SHOT BY POLICE ON NEW YEARS DAY

We crack a lot of jokes on this site while bringing you content and about the content we bring, but there are times to be completely serious and this is one of those times.  Although Oakland does not have the best reputation, there is no reason for this:

When Oscar Grant, a 22 year old unarmed man is shot in the back by police while he’s lying face down in a train station and handcuffed,  a call to action is a gigantic understatement of what needs to be done.

This is not a shooting.  It is a murder by those with badges.  There is no justification for lethal force when a man is face down and pinned by two police officers.  None.  Why haven’t you heard of this yet?  Because the national media still has yet to bring light to this tragedy and local Oakland authorities are trying to keep it under wraps.  Fortunately, the incident was caught on two separate cameras and have been spreading like wildfire on the internet.  Watch both videos, so you can feel this in your gut and take five minutes to forward this on to a friend and make some calls and send some emails and get the word out about this before it’s swept under the carpet, again. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” -MLK Jr.

Here are a few things you can do right now from Racewire.com:

1. Digg the story so that the national media can pick up on it. Here’s a link: http://digg.com/world_news/Oakland_Police_Officer_Shoots_Unarmed_Man_Handcuffed_Man

2. Contact BART Director Carole Ward Allen and demand that 1) the officers involved be taken off duty without pay and charged and fully prosecuted; 2) there be an independent investigation of the shooting that includes a review of training and hiring practices; and 3) BART establish an independent residents’ review board for the police Call her at 510-464-6095 or email the BART Directors at BoardofDirectors@bart.gov

3. Call the BART police to complain about the officers’ conduct and demand immediate action: Internal Affairs: Sergeant David Chlebowski 510.464.7029,dchlebo@bart.gov; Chief of Police: Gary Gee 510.464.7022, ggee@bart.gov

4. Talk it up on your blogs, networks and talk radio shows.  Forward this to people you know.  Spread the word.

Tags: bart police, Bay Area, injustice, oscar grant, shooting