Looting, Unrest In Oakland Following L.A. Verdict In Murder Trial Of Bay Area Transit Cop Johannes Mehserle
Despite pleas to remain calm from nearly every quarter, unrest and looting broke out in downtown Oakland overnight following the Los Angeles verdict in the case of a white Bay Area Transit cop accused of murdering an unarmed black man, Oscar Grant, in Oakland last year. The downtown L.A. jury voted to convict Johannes Mehserle of involuntary manslaughter instead of approving the more consequential second-degree murder charge he faced.
Chris Roberts / SF Weekly
The Associated Press reported that more than a dozen people were arrested in the streets of Oakland Thursday night. A jewelry store and a Footlocker appeared to have been hit by looters. Several bonfires broke out, but reports of injury were few.
Check out photos of the Oakland demonstrations from our sister paper, SF Weekly.
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