BART shooting officer arrested in Nevada

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OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Former California transit officer Johannes Mehserle, accused of shooting an unarmed man in Oakland, is being held on a murder charge in Nevada, officials said.

Mehserle, 27, was arrested by Douglas County, Nev., authorities Tuesday and is being held without bail, the Oakland Tribune reported. Mehserle's alleged slaying of Oscar Grant III, 22, at an Oakland Bay Area Rapid Transit station on New Year's Day sparked angry protests when amateur video of the incident was released.

The former officer will face extradition to Alameda County, the Tribune said. Alameda County District Attorney Tom Orloff was expected to discuss the arrest with reporters Wednesday.

Mehserle has given no comment either to BART investigators or to Orloff's office following Grant's death, in which cell phone videos appeared to show Mehserle shooting Grant as Grant lay facedown on the ground at the Fruitvale BART station.

Assistant Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan told the Tribune he hoped news of the arrest would calm tensions at a scheduled Wednesday protest, saying, "We're hoping that people act civilly and they take this recent action as a sign (Orloff) was committed to doing a job and moving forward with a complete, thorough and unbiased investigation."