ID Number: 43612
Maker: Vazta
Technique: stencil
Date Made: 2014
Place Made: United States: California, Los Angeles
Measurements: 81.5 cm x 50.8 cm; 32 1/16 in x 20 in
Main Subject: Police Brutality; Racism; African Americans
Materials: Cardstock / paperboard (fiber product)
Digitized: Y

Full Text:
Oscar Grant Unarmed and Handcuffed Shot in the Back By BART Police

Acquisition Number: 2014-147

Copyright Status:
Under copyright; used by CSPG for educational and research purposes only. Distribution or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners.

Exhibition Annotation:
Oscar Grant III was a 22-year-old African-American man who was fatally shot in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2009 by BART Police officer Johannes Mehserle in Oakland, CA. Mehserle and another officer had restrained Grant, forcing him to lie face down, and Mehserle drew his pistol and shot Grant in the back. Grant was unarmed. The events were captured on multiple official and private digital video and cell phone cameras. Owners disseminated their footage to media outlets and to various websites, where it was watched millions of times. Both peaceful and violent protests took place in the days following. On January 30, 2010, Alameda County prosecutors charged Mehserle with murder for the shooting. He resigned his position and pleaded not guilty. On July 8, 2010, Mehserle, who claimed he’d mistaken his pistol for his Taser was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and not guilty of second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. *See complete annotation in Note Pad.