Web Special: Oakland responds to Oscar Grant verdict

A jury in Los Angeles released a lesser guilty verdict in the case of Oakland BART officer Johannes Mehserle. Mehserle, who is white, shot and killed 22-year-old Oscar Grant, who is black, while he lay unarmed at a BART platform on New Year's Day in 2009.

Mehserle's guilty verdict for involuntary manslaughter carries a lighter sentence than second-degree murder, the charge the prosecution was seeking. He faces up to 4 years in prison, plus additional time because the crime included a gun.

Yesterday, Grant's mother, Wanda Johnson reacted to the verdict.

“And my son was murdered, he was murdered, he was murdered, he was murdered, my son was murdered and the law has not held the officer accountable the way that he should have been held accountable."

In Oakland, an afternoon of expressing anger and frustration turned to rage for some, as store windows were smashed and a handful of stores were looted.

FSRN’s Andrew Stelzer was there and files this report.