As we’ve covered extensively, just this summer former BART cop Johannes Mehserle was released from prison after serving a supposed cumulative two years on involuntary manslaughter charges in the wake of shooting Oscar Grant at the Fruitvale BART station on New Year’s Day 2009. But now he’s expected back on court, facing even more allegations of abuse.
As the Ex reports, 43-year-old Oakland resident Kenneth Carrethers (who, they note, is black) is suing Mehserle and four other officers in US District Court for excessive force after allegedly kicking, punching, and hogtieing him at the Oakland Coliseum BART station less than two months before Oscar Grant was killed.
According to the Chron, on November 15, 2008, Carrethers admits he was verbally abusive to a group of BART officers after his car was robbed outside a station.
BART police claim he “shouted a stream of profanities and threats at officers and refused to leave” and took a “bladed fighting stance,” forcing officers to react in the way that they did.
Carrethers says that at one point after he was restrained, Mehserle said “Well, have you learned not to mess with police officers?” to him.
The Chron’s Matier and Ross note that Carrethers, a substance abuse counselor, “was charged with resisting arrest – but the Alameda County district attorney dropped the case after Mehserle was arrested in the Grant killing early on New Year’s Day.”
Jury selection is slated to begin today, and arguments could begin as soon as tomorrow. Mehserle is expected to be present for the entire trial, and will probably testify. According to M&R, some of Oscar Grant’s relatives are rumored to be planning to attend the trial as well.
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