tpan

Friday, January 9, 2009

Oscar Grant police murder video

Shocking Video of Police Murder in Oakland, CA

I'm sending you the video linked below, which shows the execution style
murder of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old African American father of a
four-year-old, by a white Oakland transit police officer on on New Year's
Day. The impact of this video is making the case into the Rodney King case
of the 21st century. Oscar was pushed to the ground, face down, and then
shot in the back while another officer forced his head into the floor with
his knee. The video was shot by a woman standing 20 feet away from the open
doors of a train. Police attempted to confiscate other video's of the
incident, but the train left before they could get to this person's camera.
Last night, nearly 1,000 people rallied at the train station where Oscar was
killed and some protesters later faced off with riot police in downtown
Oakland. On Wednesday, January 14 at 4 pm, there is a rally planned at
Oakland City Hall to be followed by a mass march to police headquarters.
The mainstream media has played only part of this video, or other video's
shot from different angles and the police are trying to claim this was an
"accident." I need your help to spread this video around the world so that
millions of people know what really happened.

The shooting takes place at approximately 1:25 minutes into the tape. You
can clearly see the officer draw his pistol, stand over Oscar, and fire
directly into his back. The gun shot is clearly audible as well as the
cries of fear and disbelief from many of the dozens of witnesses. The
bullet entered Oscar's lower back, ricocheted off the concrete floor and
then punctured his lung. After he was shot, several officers rolled him
over and hand-cuffed him as he lay bleeding to death and suffocating in his
own blood. Another 30 minutes went by before they finally took him to
Highland Hospital, approximately 2 miles away. He died on the way.

Here's the video

A newly formed group called "Coalition Against Police Execution" has formed
and it has a rapidly growing site on Facebook. Please join the Facebook
page and help us spread the word. Fore more background and up to date
coverage of Oscar's murder and the movement against police brutality in
Oakland, go to www.SocialistWorker.org

In Solidarity,
Todd Chretien
www.SocialistWorker.org
Oakland, CA

Labels: , , ,