Oakland braces for verdict in murder trial of former Bay Area Rapid Transit officer

Oakland braces for verdict in BART shooting case

OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland officials are bracing for an upcoming verdict in the racially charged murder trial of a former Bay Area Rapid Transit officer taking place in Southern California.

While Johannes Mehserle, who is white, awaits his fate in a Los Angeles courtroom, officials are preparing for a possible repeat of the violence that hit Oakland after Mehserle fatally shot an unarmed black man 19 months ago.

In Los Angeles, security at the courthouse will be beefed up on the day the verdict is delivered.

Mehserle is charged with the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Oscar Grant at an Oakland BART station on New Year’s Day 2009.