Deliberations postponed in California transit shooting trial due to juror illness

Illness postpones CA transit trial deliberations

LOS ANGELES — A juror’s illness has postponed resumption of deliberations in the trial of a former San Francisco Bay area transit officer accused of murder in the shooting of an unarmed black man on an Oakland train platform.

The Los Angeles jury was to have returned to talks Tuesday, but will now reconvene on Wednesday. The jurors met for a half-day after being given the case Friday.

Former officer Johannes Mehserle pleaded not guilty in the shooting of 22-year-old Oscar Grant after a fight drew officers to a train station on New Year’s Day 2009. Grant was lying face down when he was shot. Mehserle, who is white, claims he mistakenly pulled his gun instead of a Taser.

The case was moved to Los Angeles due to racial tension and extensive media coverage.