SAN FRANCISCO – The former San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit police who shot and killed a man on a train platform said Wednesday he disagreed with a jury's verdict convicting him of involuntary manslaughter.
Johannes Mehserle was called to the witness stand to testify in a civil trial stemming from a lawsuit filed by the father of Oscar Grant, who was killed on New Year's Day 2009.
Grant's father is suing BART, Mehserle and others over the shooting. Mehserle said he accidentally used his gun when he meant to use his Taser.
Mehserle paused for several seconds when he was asked whether he agreed with the jury's verdict, which led to his serving about a year in a jail. After answering no, Mehserle wasn't asked any follow-up questions about the verdict.
The father's lawyer, Waukeen McCoy was just beginning to question Mehserle about the shooting of Grant on the Fruitvale station platform in Oakland when the judge halted testimony for the trial.
Mehserle's testimony continues Friday.
Grant's father, who is currently serving a life sentence for murder, is seeking unspecified damages for interfering with his familial relationship because of his son's death.
BART settled a separate lawsuit filed by Grant's mother and daughter for $2. 8 million. Another lawsuit filed by Grant's friends who were present on the train platform when he was shot settled for $175,000.
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