Documents released May 1st under a new California police transparency law state that former BART police officer Anthony Pirone claimed he was “fighting for his life” during the fatal incident that killed 22-year-old father, Oscar Grant in 2009. However, an internal investigation completed by Meyers Nave law firm revealed Pirone instigated the altercation with his “repeated and unnecessary use of force” against Grant and use of the n-word.
Ten years after Oscar Grant was murdered by officer Johannes Mehserle at BART station in the early hours of New Years Day, the investigation revealed how officers provoked the incident and that Grant was face down on the BART while a cop had a knee in his back before he was shot and killed.
The document states, “Pirone was, in large part, responsible for setting the events in motion that created a chaotic and tense situation on the platform, setting the stage, even if inadvertent, for the shooting of Oscar Grant.”
Mehserle claimed that during the scuffle, he thought he pulled his taser when he grabbed his gun and fired at Grant; however, the documents suggest he was aware that he was pulling a firearm. Mehserle was found guilty of manslaughter, but only given the minimum two-year sentence.
According to Vibe, Pirone and Officer Marysol Domenici were the first to respond to Oakland’s Fruitvale BART Station that night where the train was stopped. Grant was pulled from the train and forced to the ground as officers attempted to arrest him and his friends. Both officers were fired over their involvement in Grant’s death, but Domenici was reinstated with back pay after she was found to be truthful during the investigation.
Oscar Grant’s death was one of the first police-involved shootings to be captured on cell phone video and sparked protests against police brutality. Grant’s mother and daughter were awarded a combined $2.8 million settlement from BART, while Grant’s five friends who were on the train with him settled with BART for $175,000 each.
