Oakland cops make arrests at verdict protest
Crowd claims lack of justice in ex-transit officer's manslaughter conviction
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Hundreds of protesters take over an intersection in Oakland, Calif., following an involuntary manslaughter verdict in Johannes Mehserle's trial on Thursday, July 8, 2010. A former transit police officer, Mehserle shot and killed unarmed black man Oscar Grant on New Year's Day 2009. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
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An involuntary manslaughter verdict against a white former transit cop who killed an unarmed black man was met with protests that erupted in violence Thursday night in Oakland, Calif.
The trial over the shooting took place in Los Angeles, where prosecutors had pressed for a murder conviction in the New Year's Day 2009 Oakland train-station killing that was recorded on video.About 500 mostly peaceful protested in a march near Oakland City Hall. Violence suddenly erupted after the main crowd dispersed and night began to fall.
A Foot Locker store was looted and nearby store windows were smashed before police moved in and began arresting at least a dozen people in the area of 14th and Broadway when demonstrators would not leave after an unlawful assembly was declared mid-evening.
Bottles were thrown at police and the windows of a California Highway Patrol car were broken. Protesters also set garbage cans on fire. Some chanted "No justice, No peace."
Police and city officials were mindful of how the train-station shooting set off days of rioting in the city and were prepared for any eruption of violence. Calm was largely restored in about an hour.
Oscar Grant, 22, is the transit rider shot and killed by Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer on New Year's Day 2009.
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