Oscar Grant-Johannes Mehserle Case Controversy Rages

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LOS ANGELES (GaeaTimes.com)- The Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert J Perry sentenced former BART police officer, Johannes Mehserle to two years in prison in the Oscar Grant shooting case. The much awaited sentencing, raised the ire of the supporters who fought for the cause of justice for the victim. They found the punishment too lenient. Johannes Mehserle could be out of prison in a as less as 7 months according to some of the legal experts.

The judge found Johannes Mehserle guilty of involuntary manslaughter and though the usual punishment for the charge is 4 years, the court took into consideration the time that he had already served in prison. Johannes Mehserle was thus granted 292 days of credit and he might also be eligible for parole after serving half his sentence. Judge Robert J Perry said that most of the evidence indicated that Johannes Mehserle had mistakenly taken out the firearm instead of the Taser while trying to subdue Oscar Grant. After the court hearing, Johannes Mehserle made a tearful apology to the judge and said that no matter what he did, he will not be able to heal the wounds that he had caused.

Grainy video footage of the shooting of Oscar Grant also indicated that Johannes Mehserle was regretting the episode and he was seen with his hands on his head. The 2009 incident caused widespread riots in Oakland where it took a racist turn. The case was shifted to Los Angeles Court after the authorities realized that Johannes Mehserle could be denied justice in Oakland due to the racial tension that the case had caused.