Oscar Grant was a 22‑year‑old Black man who was shot and killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer in the early hours of January 1, 2009 , at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland, California. His death became one of the first widely circulated, cellphone‑filmed police killings in the U.S., and it helped galvanize later movements around police accountability and Black Lives Matter.

What happened that night

On New Year’s Eve 2008, Grant and several friends were returning from a celebration in San Francisco when BART officers responded to reports of a physical altercation involving up to 20 people on a train. Officers removed Grant and others from the train and detained them on the platform at Fruitvale station.

  • BART officer Anthony Pirone handcuffed one of Grant’s friends, then forced Grant to lie face‑down on the platform, kneeling on his neck and striking him in the head, according to internal reports and witness videos.
  • As Grant lay on the ground, another BART officer, Johannes Mehserle , drew his service pistol and shot Grant once in the back , the bullet entering near his left hip and passing through his lung.
  • Grant was rushed to Highland Hospital in Oakland and pronounced dead later that morning.

Multiple bystanders recorded the incident on cell phones and uploaded the footage to YouTube, where it quickly went viral and drew national attention.

Legal and disciplinary outcomes

  • Mehserle was charged with murder , but in 2010 a jury convicted him of involuntary manslaughter instead; he served about 11 months in jail before being released on parole.
  • An internal BART investigation later found that Pirone escalated the situation , used excessive force, and lied about his actions in interviews, yet he was not criminally charged.
  • BART eventually fired Pirone , and the agency later released previously sealed investigative records under California’s police‑transparency law, confirming that his conduct helped “set the stage” for Grant’s killing.

Impact and legacy

Oscar Grant’s death triggered protests and riots in Oakland , with some demonstrations turning violent in the days following the shooting. Over time, his case became a touchstone in national debates about police violence, race, and the use of body‑cam and cellphone video as evidence.

  • The 2013 film “Fruitvale Station” dramatized the last day of Grant’s life and brought renewed public attention to his story.
  • Community groups and family members continue to hold annual vigils and events at Fruitvale station, especially around January 1, to honor his memory and push for reform.

Quick reference table

Aspect| Detail
---|---
Date of incident| January 1, 2009, early morning 3
Location| Fruitvale BART station, Oakland, CA 3
What happened| Shot once in the back by BART officer Johannes Mehserle while lying face‑down on the platform 37
Legal outcome for Mehserle| Convicted of involuntary manslaughter; served about 11 months in jail 310
Role of Anthony Pirone| Internal report found he escalated the situation, used excessive force, and lied; later fired by BART 135
Cultural impact| Early viral cellphone‑filmed police killing; inspired protests, activism, and the film Fruitvale Station 358

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.