Vigil honors 15th anniversary of Oscar Grant's shooting in Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. - It's been 15 years since the tragic killing of Oscar Grant at the Fruitvale BART station, and today an organization honored his memory with a vigil in Oakland.
Fifteen years ago, the Bay Area was stunned by the killing of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old father and beloved son, as he was returning home from New Year's Eve celebrations.
The Oscar Grant Foundation, now headed by Grant's mother, Reverend Wanda Johnson, held a vigil celebrating his life and the lives of other minorities killed by law enforcement.
Wanda Johnson, the mother of victim Oscar Grant, points to his picture as she leaves a pretrial hearing for Johannes Mehserle, the former Bay Area Rapid Transit officer charged with murder in the shooting death of Grant in Oakland, California last ye (Grant, 22, was shot dead by Mehserle who responded to reports of fighting on the subway. The shooting was captured on video and has been widely broadcast on television and on the In(MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images))
Grant was shot and killed in the early hours of Jan 1, 2009 by a transit officer. That officer, Johannes Mehserle, claimed that he meant to use his Taser instead of his gun. After being convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Mehserle served half of a two-year prison sentence before being released.
Protestors hold hands as they pray during a demonstration for slain 22-year-old Oscar Grant III January 14, 2009 in Oakland, California. Twelve days after the fatal shooting of Oscar Grant III, former Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer Joha
After Grant's death, a new movement of police accountability was born, thanks in part to the passion of his family. In November, Grant's uncle Cephus "Uncle Bobby" Johnson was appointed to the state's Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board.
Grant's story also went global when the film ‘Fruitvale Station’ was released in 2013. The movie had a $900,000 budget, but ultimately grossed $17 million in its release and also made a few people into household names, including Michael B. Jordan and director Ryan Coogler.
In 2022, the City of Oakland held the first annual "Oscar Grant Day" which included a resource fair and musical performances. Grant's mother told KTVU she was overjoyed to give back to the community.
A supporter wears a tribute to slain transit passenger Oscar Grant, outside the Los Angeles Superior Court before the sentencing of the former Bay Area Rapid Transit officer Johannes Mehserle, who was responsible for the Oakland shooting last year, i
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