An Interview w/ Oakland Lawyer John Burris
The Oscar Grant BART Shooting & Police Terror in Oakland

By Davey D

You can hear the full interview on Breakdown FM by clicking the link below.. http://odeo.com/episodes/23838664-Police-Terror-in-oakland-Interview-w-John-Burris

By now everyone has seen the horrific video or videos of a Oakland BART Police Officer shooting an unarmed, Black man (Osacr Grant) while he lay facedown on the ground and was fully co-operating. The man who was killed execution style was the father of a 4 year old girl and was considered a peacemaker. In fact moments before he was shot he was pleading with his friends who were all cuffed up to calm down and be cooperative with police. Grant was seen begging the police officers who had pulled tasers out and pointed them at the heads of his friends, not to shoot.

For reasons unknown to us, the police officer pushed Grant to the ground. One officer kneeled on his neck while the other officer pulled out a gun and shot him point blank in the back. The bullet went through his back, hit the ground and bounced back up and pierced his lung, killing him. The police then ran around and terrified witnesses by taking away their cell phones and video cameras for 'evidence'. The video which was shot by a witness named Ms Vargus and has been seen by everyone on news stations like KTVU was also going to be confiscated except her train started moving as police attempted to snatch away her camera. The cops obviously did not see the other video cameras buzzing away.

What went down this New Year's morning is very disturbing sight and it has the entire city of Oakland on edge. Adding insult to industry is the refusal of BART police to acknowledge any wrong doing. The police chief Gary Gee says the tapes are inconclusive and he has thus far refused to even release the name of the police officer who is now on paid leave. We have also come to find out that the young men along with Oscar Grant were snatched off the train by BART police who did not know whether or not these young men were involved in any sort of altercation. In short, it could've been any one of us pulled off the train that night.

We sat down and spoke with famed attorney John Burris. He's the man to talk to when it comes to police terrorism. He and the Grant family has filed a 25 million dollar lawsuit, but they also want the cop in question to be criminally charged.

Burris who has represented everyone from the late 2Pac Shakur to Dwayne Wiggins of Tony Toni Tone to Rodney King all victims of police brutality says this is the worse case of police terrorism he has ever witnessed. Burris who has also written a book called Black vs Blue which deals with Police brutality and minority communities gives us the full 4-1- 1 on a number of key topics.

We talk about the far reaching powers of the police unions and how they have stealthly gotten lots of laws passed that give them all sorts of rights that will make your head spin. For example, the officer who is accused of killing Oscar Grant has not been interviewed yet and won't for a while. This means all the officers on the scene can sit back listen to all the evidence against them and then come up with a well thought out counter story. Their integrity is compromised but it makes no difference as far as the average person in the public is concerned. Make no mistake, these officers are probably hard at work digging up as much dirt on any or all of the individuals so that when they speak we won't hear about Oscar Grant the father, but they will try to find something demeaning so that in the public's mind the shooting is justified. In short they wanna make Grant a 'low down thug nigger' who needed to be shot. Watch for the spin starting with the posting of you tube videos by cop sympathizers planting those seeds, I already seen two with individuals who look and sound like us suggesting that perhaps Grant and his friends were causing trouble and thus made the job of the police difficult on an hectic New year's Eve..

The officers have a huge right to privacy, so if we wanna have public hearings where we put a troublesome cop on blast, it has to be done in private. That's just the tip of the iceberg Burris runs the entire scenrio down for us.

In this interview we talk about new laws citizens should pass. I would like to see cops have a three strikes law directed at them. I would also like to see special courts set up that deal with law enforcement and other public officials.. We talk about the feasibility of this..

I also speak with Burris about what sort of improvements have been made since he first came on the scene over 25 years ago.. Why are we still dealing with this sort of abuse after all the lawsuits?

We start off the interview with a short montage narrated by local Oakland rap artist D-Labrie. We start off talking about the history of police terrorism in Oakland including the killing of Black Panther Bobby Hutton, the brutality suffered by 2Pac Shakur and the horrific shooting of Gary King. The King case sounds remarkably similar to what happened to Oscar Grant and when you hear the pained remarks and testimonies from his family and friends who we interviewed the day after King was murdered by OPD it's as troubling as the Grant video. They described the police shooting of their partner as an execution. The officer who murdered Gary King had shot 2 other people including an unarmed man in a wheel chair. So sadly what happened in Oakland the other night with the murder of Oscar Grant is not unusual-Black life is expandable in the eyes of the police. It don't matter if we are throwing money at a video camera and flashing diamond encrusted grills or days away from sitting in the white house. What we witnessed the other night in Oakland is an occupying force raging war on the community.

You hear it when you listen ton the news footage and interviews from the past. from Bobby Hutton to 2Pac and beyond the scenario is all the same.

Anyway enough said listen to the interview and spread the word. help create awareness..

Again here's the link to the interview with John Burris

http://odeo.com/episodes/23838664-Police-Terror-in-oakland-Interview-w-John-Burris

Justice Oscar Grant Protest
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 7, 2009
3-7pm
FRUITVALE BART STATION
OAKLAND, CA
JUSTICE FOR OSCAR GRANT PROTEST
For more info: evanshamar@gmail.com
(510) 750-2767


http://cbs5.com/local/oakland.BART.shooting.2.900634.html

The Gathering for Justice Staff would like to send you and your family many warm wishes beginning with Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad, Happy Kwanzaa, Mele Kalikimaka, 圣诞快乐, Joyeux Noël, Frohe Weihnachten, and メリークリスマス. At the close of another year, we pause to wish you a warm and happy holiday season. We have such a deep appreciation for all of you who have dedicated your lives to improving our communities as well as our nation. We understand that there are people who want things to happen, some who wish things can happen and others that make things happen. We are proud to say that you all have made it happen, another exciting year full of many wonderful memories. We thank each and every one of you for your endless commitment and as you climb every mountain in your life, just know that you WILL reach the top. We also ask the creator to bless and acknowledge our brothers and sisters who have lost their lives and are now in the spirit world watching over us, our children who are incarcerated, our ill and our elders. Let us remember and pray for all those in need. We send you all our wishes for a Happy Holiday Season and a New Year of health, happiness and prosperity. Blessings!


Carmen, Jonathan and Malia

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Incarcerated Youth By: Harry Belafonte