I have very little to add to Adam's elegant writing on the aftermath of the Oscar Grant verdict, except to wonder, as I did after the verdict in the shooting of Sean Bell in New York City, how long we're going to tolerate officers who think the communities they police are inherently dangerous for them. In 2008, 41 officers were victims of murder that was considered a felony act around the country (of more than 880,000 that were employed). In 2008, more than 5,700 black men were victims of murder. They make up the single-biggest group of murder victims, despite the fact that African Americans represent only about 13 percent of the population.
So, in just about any situation, Grant was much more likely to be the victim of violence than the officer, Johannes Mehserle, was. As Adam said, this fear is about something else. The cynic in me feared he would be acquitted entirely, but an involuntary-manslaughter conviction is hardly consolation.
-- Monica Potts
