Mehserle's letter to the public

San Francisco Chronicle / sfgate.com ^ | Friday, July 9, 2010 | Chronicle Staff Report

[thecodont]

(07-09) 13:56 PDT OAKLAND -- The attorney for Johannes Mehserle, the former BART police officer convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Oscar Grant, released a handwritten letter today that Mehserle composed Sunday - four days before a Los Angeles jury came back with its verdict in the case.

The full text of the letter released by defense attorney Michael Rains follows:

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/09/BAQB1EC3T3.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0tDspBOYL

[thecodont]

Article has the transcript.

Same page has a link to the "Handwritten copy of the letter (PDF)"

http://cdn.sfgate.com/c/acrobat/2010/07/09/mehserlestatement.pdf?tsp=1

[Filo]

A repentant murderer is still a murderer.

[bike800]

those who callhim a murderer for a mistake.....would be the first to scream if one of them made a mistake and was called a murderer...the reaction to this incident shows clearly who the racists are in this country. As well...it is only justice when the verdict is what THEY want...unfortunate incident...unintentional....not murder...i see that the justice dept is gonna investigate this incident...of course....even as they are overlooking the black panthers...havent heard any video of the officer yelling about killing blacks...mmmmm...just sayin

[DJ MacWoW]

A repentant murderer is still a murderer.

Grant was hopped up on drugs. If he hadn't resisted and refused to be cuffed, the officer wouldn't have gone for his taser and gotten his gun instead.

[Filo]

those who callhim a murderer for a mistake

Bull. It wasn't a mistake. You don't draw a weapon by mistake.

[rjones42]

Me thinks you need some education.

[Filo]

Grant was hopped up on drugs. If he hadn't resisted and refused to be cuffed, the officer wouldn't have gone for his taser and gotten his gun instead.

That's funny. Just make stuff up when you don't have a clue and you think it's alright?

There is no evidence for drugs or for resisting arrest. None. Even if the former were true it's not grounds for being shot and killed. The latter simply never happened as documented on numerous videos from a number of angles.

[DJ MacWoW]

Me thinks you need some education.

Obviously. Several Freepers last night said that a taser looks and feels like a Glock. A pic was even posted.

[Filo]

Me thinks you need some education.

While I'm quite confident that I've had more of one than you, let's see what you've got. Educate me. . .

[thecodont]

Grant was hopped up on drugs. If he hadn't resisted and refused to be cuffed, the officer wouldn't have gone for his taser and gotten his gun instead.

I watched the video of the incident. I re-watched it. What impressed me was how quiet and cooperative the seated arrestees on each side of Mr. Grant were. They were able to see the sun rise the next morning.

[Filo]

Several Freepers last night said that a taser looks and feels like a Glock. A pic was even posted.

Even if that were true, which it isn't, there was no reason even for a taser under the circumstances. Bringing any weapon to bear was grossly negligent and demonstrated a clear disregard for human life. I.e. murder 2.

[Enterprise]

If another officer did the same thing, and it was ruled a mistake, why could that incident be a mistake, and this one not?

[DJ MacWoW]

There is no evidence for drugs or for resisting arrest

Grants autopsy listed alcohol, coke and fentanyl in his system. He had his hand down the front of his pants and refused to be cuffed. THAT was the reason for use of a taser.

Have you read his rap sheet? In and out of jail. Even bleeding heart wikipedia isn't lying for him. It's all there in black and white.

This 22 year old was a thug, fighting and terrorizing other train passengers. He was ID'ed by people on the train. A couple other people had been caught earlier and they had weapons.

[DJ MacWoW]

I watched the video of the incident. I re-watched it. What impressed me was how quiet and cooperative the seated arrestees on each side of Mr. Grant were. They were able to see the sun rise the next morning.

Yup. And the officers jump back in shock.

[Vendome]

He is not a murderer in the sense that he had forethought in his actions of ill intent.

He accidentally killed a man and for that he was convicted of “Involuntary Manslaughter”.

[DJ MacWoW]

Resisting arrest is grounds for a taser.

[Publius6961]

A repentant murderer is still a murderer.

That's very PC, milo, but the verdict was involuntary manslaughter.

What you think, or what I think, for that matter, is irrelevant.

[thecodont]

And Grant was in the middle, kicking and thrashing around.

[Publius6961]

Keep digging...

[DJ MacWoW]

And Grant was in the middle, kicking and thrashing around.

With one of his arms under him. When a cop says "Give me your arm" they aren't kidding. If Grant had complied, he'd be alive. The accident never would have happened.