It's About Damn Crime · It’s About Damn Crime

Ep. 84- Oscar Julius Grant III

·1 hr 7 min·6 clips

Witness videos show Oscar Grant was restrained and unarmed when officer Johannes Meserly shot him in the back.

This episode covers the 2009 police shooting of Oscar Grant III at Oakland's Fruitvale BART station. Hosts Brittany, Justine, and Scott examine the case and its aftermath. They provide background on both Grant and the officer involved, Johannes Mehserle. The incident began when BART police responded to reports of a fight on a train early on New Year's Day. Officers, including Tony Pirone and Johannes Mehserle, detained Grant and others on the platform. The official police account stated Grant was resisting arrest and reaching for a waistband, prompting Mehserle to fire his taser. Mehserle instead drew his service weapon and shot Grant in the back. Multiple bystander videos contradicted the police narrative, showing Grant restrained and face-down before the shooting. Grant died seven hours later at Highland Hospital. The hosts note the videos showed no visible struggle from Grant and captured Officer Pirone using a racial slur. Public outrage led to protests at the Fruitvale station that escalated into riots after police used tear gas. Mehserle resigned and was later arrested in Nevada. His trial was moved to Los Angeles County, and the jury included several members with law enforcement connections. Mehserle claimed he mistakenly drew his gun instead of his taser, citing only six hours of taser training. The jury convicted Mehserle of involuntary manslaughter, not the sought second-degree murder charge. He was sentenced to two years but served only 146 days in county jail due to credit for time served. BART paid a $1.5 million settlement to Grant's daughter and $1.3 million to his mother, Wanda. The hosts argue the case highlighted systemic issues in police training and racial bias. They contrast media use of Grant's mugshot with more flattering portrayals of white defendants like Chris Watts. The tone is conversational and opinionated, blending case details with the hosts' personal reactions and critiques. The style is informal, featuring digressions about pop culture and candid commentary on the justice system. Listeners interested in wrongful death cases and discussions of police accountability would appreciate this episode. Those preferring strictly factual, detached true crime narratives might find the editorializing distracting.

As heard by us

A conversational look at a fatal BART shooting, the protests it sparked, and the legal fallout that followed.

This episode keeps the BART shooting case moving with blunt, conversational energy, staying on the protest, the public anger, and the official response in Oakland.

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Why you'd press play

You want the case framed through protest, backlash, and the trial that followed.

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