BART shooting case goes to jury

LOS ANGELES, July 2 (UPI) -- The trial of a Bay Area Rapid Transit officer in the shooting death of a man on an Oakland, Calif., station platform went to the jury Friday.

The jury was expected to begin deliberating the fate of Johannes Mehserle Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Mehserle testified during the trial in Los Angeles that he mistakenly pulled out his pistol instead of a stun gun when he shot and killed Oscar Grant, an unarmed black man, while detaining him face down on a train platform in January 2009.

Prosecutor David Stein asked the jury to deliver what would be an unprecedented verdict in a use-of-force case -- second degree murder, with a possible sentence of 15 to live in prison, the newspaper said.

"It can never be lawful to shoot an unarmed man," Stein said, "when that man is face-down in the process of putting his hands behind his back."

Defense attorney Michael Rains urged the jury to find Merhserle innocent of murder and a lesser charge of manslaughter.

The trial was moved to Los Angeles because of pretrial publicity and tensions the killing caused in Oakland and the East Bay, the Chronicle reported.

Community leaders in Oakland held a news conference Friday to urge the public to remain calm after a verdict is reached, the newspaper said.

Mayor Ron Dellums -- appearing with police, fire, community organizers and other elected officials -- said he understood public anger and pain over the Grant's death but he said the appropriate response is to work for justice.

"We need to respond with strength, dignity and respect," he said.