Mehserle, 28, told the court that he had trained with his police-issued Taser less than 10 times before the New Year’s morning incident during which he shot and killed Grant. He had extensive practice with his firearm dating back to his time at a Napa police academy.
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Michael Schott, an expert in forensic image analysis retained by defense attorney Michael Rains, told the court that a video which appears to show former BART Police Officer Anthony Pirone punching Grant in the face actually shows nothing of the sort.
BART Police Officer Jon Woffinden, called to the stand yesterday by defense attorney Michael Rains, had said that he had thought that Mehserle had deployed his Taser, and said that he had a personal as well as professional relationship with him.
Jackie Bryson, 23, was with Grant when Mehserle shot and killed the Hayward man as he lay prone on the platform of Fruitvale BART station on January 1, 2009.
California Beat reporters Tashina Manyak and Steven Luo discuss the proceedings in the second-degree murder trial of former BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle, who shot and killed unarmed BART passenger Oscar Grant at the Fruitvale BART station New Year’s Day 2009. Hosted by James Keith.
Excerpts from BART Police dispatch transcripts from the events were made available today by the Los Angeles Superior Court.
The new footage and police communication recordings have never before been seen or heard outside of a courtroom and were submitted as evidence in the criminal trial against Mehserle.