The sense (or lack thereof) of accountability to the public strikes me here: A week later, the officer, who supposedly is "devastated," has still not issued even a non-committal statement of regret through his personal attorneys. And in the meantime, the force not only has placed him on standard paid leave (i.e. vacation) funded in part by the tax dollars of the shooting victim and his family, but has refused to release either copies of their own surveillance video or even the officer's name, which has been learned only through other means.

Everything we know about this case has been secured through mere chance or some civilian effort. Even beyond debated facts and recollection, this perceived wall of silence and lack of partnership doesn't bode well for BART police effort toward salvaging a comfortable rapport with the public.
[Edited 1/7/09 11:11am]

JustErin said:

Damn Canadians just don't understand

I know you were not disputing crime in these areas, I was just backing up my argument that IMHO, BART police are as justified in carrying guns and are just as legitimate as any other Police force.

Sowhat said:

I wasn't disputing that either. I just was curious what their training was....which someone answered for me.

Lammastide said:

my sentiments exactly

time affects memory and unfortunately credibility
the statement should have been made immediatement
as more time goes by the guiltier he appears to the public

this is the sickness

however, whatever they plea, I thought that shooting someone in the back is
never (not even in a million years) to be taken as self-defense. I might be wrong
but there doesn't seem to be any possibility to justify this shooting ...

If the guy was a threat, which I seriously doubt, he didn't only murdered a man, at the same time, he put his colleague, who was still on his knees at risk. In the time between him standing up and shooting the man, the threat could've easily materialized against the other officer.

BlueZebra said:

The other officer jumped up when he heard the shot.
And the bullet ricocheted after hitting the pavement,
which could easily have gone towards his direction.

Yes, the whole situation is so sad.

I don't understand everyone saying this is sad.

If a guy accidentally fell onto the tracks and was run over, that would be sad.

This shit is OUTRAGEOUS. What can be done:

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

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

Call them toll free at 877.679.7000 and press the last four digits of the phone number you wish to reach.

wildgoldenhoney said:

I just read an article that stated that the bullet initially went through the victim then ricocheted off the pavement and splintered back into his lungs and that is what ended up killing him.

FunkMistress said:

you are the bee's knees FunkMistress.

FunkMistress said:

hey, we want something to be done. That doesn't necessarily mean we want to do something ourselves. Let others do it, then claim victory together !

(sarcasm)

Sowhat said:

He died needlessly and in extreme pain .

the officer just resigned

resignation=no internal affair investigation

*the protest is actually very peaceful*

JerseyKRS said:

We must be long lost brothers Jers, you're the ONLY other person I've ever heard use that phrase in a sentence!! The bee knees...

RenHoek said:

Carriempls says it.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/C...index.html


Apparently the officer resigned. I didn't read this article yet.

sweet said:

wonder what the second tape shows ..

FunkMistress said:

Ahh... something proactive for a change. You're a woman after my own heart.

sweet said:

God, I hope that's not true.

hokie said:

From that article


you know, I can believe that.

BlueZebra said:

Really?

I would think if you are a seasoned officer, or a new one even that you would know and feel the difference between a real gun and a taser.

JustErin said:

BART police have to be qualified to be police to be BART police. They are not rent-a-cops. They also go through the police academy.

Lammastide said:

I just read an article on his resignation. Apparently, BART police can still carry out the investigation, but they can no longer impel Mehserle to talk, thus possibly incriminating himself.

Smart legal move.

I hate to say it, but I don't see Mehserle facing jail. I'd be less surprised if he (God forbid) killed himself pending investigation.
[Edited 1/7/09 20:46pm]

Why do people resist? Fight or flight response, for one thing. Fight or flight is like an involuntary response in some.

JustErin said:

hokie said:

I've never held a gun and I never held a taser.



In the heat of the moment, I don't think you feel the difference.

Anyway. I don't have any background/history on the officer and I don't have that on the victim. All we have is grainy vids from cellphones. I, for one, don't believe that ALL cops are trigger-happy mf's that kill ppl with the quickness just for fun. IMHO the guy was trying to do his job and something went wrong in his head or with his material. The officer may just as much be a victim as the dead guy. Who are we to judge ?

And BTW, there was a protest at the Fruitvale BART station, which turned into a riot. This is how upset people are about what happened.

BlueZebra said:

OK...but, look at that bright ass yellow thing. If I didn't feel the difference I think I'd see it.

I don't know enough about the story to say whether or not I think the cop made an error. Who knows. I just think IF the story is true that one other cop had his knee in the victim's back and/or neck then do you really need to shoot someone at all? And if you do shoot them somewhere to hurt them, not kill them...

CNN

(CNN) -- Robbie Tolan sits in a Houston, Texas, hospital bed with a bullet from a police officer's gun lodged in his liver. The son of a famed baseball player was shot in his own driveway.

But how this unarmed 23-year-old and his cousin ended up in the cross-hairs of an officer's gun, suspected of stealing a car, is a question sparking allegations of racial profiling.

"There's no doubt in my mind that if these had been white kids this does not happen," said David Berg, Tolan's attorney.

It was 2 a.m. on December 31 when Tolan and his cousin, Anthony Cooper, were confronted in the driveway of their home by Bellaire, Texas, police officers. Police officials say the officers suspected the two young men were driving a stolen car.

Bellaire is a prominent, mostly white suburb in southwest Houston. Video . Watch outrage over shooting of an unarmed man »

Robbie Tolan is the son of a once-prominent professional baseball player. His father, Bobby Tolan, had a 15-year career for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, spanning 1965 to 1979. He played on one of the most-heralded Cardinal teams ever: the 1967 World Series champs.

The younger Tolan is just starting to develop his own baseball career. He's played in the Washington Nationals minor league system and spent part of last season playing for the Bay Area Toros of the Continental Baseball League.

Tolan's relatives say the two young men had just arrived from a late-night run to a Jack-in-the-Box fast food restaurant.

As they walked up the driveway to their home, Anthony Cooper said an unidentified man emerged from the darkness with a flashlight and a gun pointed at them.

"We did not know it was a police officer," said Cooper. "He said, 'Stop. Stop.' And we were like, 'Why? Who are you?'"

The officers ordered both men to lie down on the ground. Tolan's parents heard the commotion and came outside. Police will only say an "altercation" took place. Tolan's family say it involved his mother.

"The cop pushed her against the wall," said Tolan's uncle, Mike Morris.

Relatives say Tolan started to lean up from the ground to ask the officer what he was doing to his mother. That's when the family says Tolan was shot in the chest, the bullet piercing his lung and then lodging in his liver.

But Tolan's SUV wasn't stolen. Both men were unarmed and relatives say they were hardly a threat to the police officer. Anger over the shooting has been building over the last week.

"He was the victim of the worst case and worst kind of racial profiling," said community activist Quannel X.

The Bellaire Police Department has called the shooting "tragic" and put the officer involved in the incident on administrative leave.

"Anytime someone is injured we take it very seriously," said Byron Holloway, Assistant Chief of the Bellaire Police Department. "But any allegation of racial profiling, I don't think that's going to float."

The police department is investigating and the district attorney's office in Houston is also looking into whether charges will be filed against the police officer.

The policeman is a white, 10-year veteran of the force whom police say has an excellent record.

Bellaire Police officials are no longer talking publicly about the case. The department's assistant chief says they're investigating how the officers on the scene mistakenly determined that the SUV Tolan and his cousin were driving had been stolen.

Robbie Tolan remains in a Houston hospital. Relatives say he is in severe pain but is expected to recover. But his attorney says that Tolan's baseball career might be over.
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Tolan's father isn't worried about that.

"I'm not concerned about his career as a baseball player. I'm concerned about his health," said Bobby Tolan.

Happens everyday of every week.