Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle on January 1, 2009, at the Fruitvale BART Station in Oakland, California. The incident occurred in the early morning hours after police responded to reports of a fight on a crowded train. Officers detained Grant and several others on the platform. During this detention, Officer Anthony Pirone knelt on Grant's head, forcing him to lie face down. Mehserle then drew his pistol and shot Grant in the back. Grant was unarmed and later died at a hospital
. The shooting was captured on multiple bystanders' cell phone videos, which quickly went viral, sparking widespread outrage, protests, and riots. Mehserle claimed he intended to use his taser but accidentally fired his gun. He was charged with murder but was ultimately convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for time served
. The incident highlighted issues of police misconduct and racial injustice. Subsequent investigations found that Officer Pirone, who initially detained Grant, had lied about confirming Grant's involvement in the fight and used racial slurs during the encounter. Pirone was later fired
. Oscar Grant's death has had a lasting impact, inspiring the 2013 film Fruitvale Station directed by Ryan Coogler, which chronicles the last day of Grant's life
. The family also filed a wrongful death lawsuit, resulting in financial settlements for Grant's mother and daughter
