It seems as if every time I look into the shooting death early New Year's Day of Oscar Grant III, the more unfortunate facts appear.
According to reporting by KGO-TV, in the 35-year history of the BART subway line, five officer-involved shootings have claimed four lives, including Grant's.
Long before the 22-year-old Hayward man died after a confrontation with transit police on the Fruitvale station platform, a BART officer shot a young man in the back of the head in 1992 at the Hayward station while checking on an alleged stolen Walkman.
That's right, a cassette-playing radio.
The article on KGO's Web site (an entity also known as ABC7 News) says:
Mike Healy, a BART spokesperson at the time, remembers the officer was cleared after the BART Firearms Review Board concluded the use of lethal force was justified.
"The young man who was shot attacked the officer and then turned around and walked away," Healy said. "The officer's account was that he believed he was going for a gun that he had hidden somewhere on the edge of the parking lot. "
Sixteen years ago this month, people were up in arms about that killing, just as they are now about Grant's death, rallying for an investigation into the shooting of 19-year-old Jerrold Hall.
The San Francisco Bayview newspaper said Hall, the 1992 victim, died of a shotgun blast, not the usual police pistol slug.
The biggest difference between the reaction to the two killings? According to KGO:
"It wasn't as heated as this one, it wasn't as explosive, because there was no video tape, so it was just the war of words that goes on," said Copwatch member Andrea Prichett, who remembers the public's reaction.
This is an old YouTube clip, but it's what I have to work with that is fairly relevant to the reporting, at this point:
Comments
Any loss of life is a tragic event, but IMO, four fatal shootings in 35 years is actually a very small number. Perhaps the writer doesn't ride BART from the stations I use. BART used to provide a very safe commute except for petty theft, but it has become increasingly dangerous thanks to the numbers of "out of control" youth who travel in groups and hang out at the stations. Muggings and assaults have become a real problem in the parking lots and surrounding neighborhoods. Most of us have learned to avoid BART completely on "Spare the Air" days because the truants are out in force and looking for trouble. If you're a woman or elderly you're more at risk.
This most outrageous Bart shooting. Bart has done it now. Homer should ground him for upwards of a month.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!