Fruitvale Station - Ryan Coogler - 2013

1. The jury found Officer Mehserle, the man who killed Oscar Grant, not guilty of second-degree murder (which requires the intention to kill) but guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Involuntary manslaughter is defined as unintentionally causing the death of another while committing a misdemeanour or acting without “without due caution and circumspection.” California Penal Code § 192(b). What exactly did this verdict mean?

2. We know that many people on the train thought the police officers were not acting properly that night and started filming what was happening. We know that Oscar Grant had a young daughter, a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, and that on the night he died he had complied with his mother’s request that he and his friends take the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) because she thought it would be safer than driving. We also know that some incidents shown in the film did not happen. For example, Oscar didn’t try to help a dying dog the day before his death. (The filmmakers heard about a similar incident involving Oscar’s brother and put it into the movie.) We also know that there are things about Oscar that are not in the movie. For example, Oscar’s criminal record shows five convictions, one of which was for the illegal possession of a handgun. Also, while the movie shows Oscar in jail, actually, he had spent about two years of his short life in prison. What was the purpose of the filmmakers in presenting the version of Oscar’s last day shown in the movie?

3. In the film, Oscar is shown trying to put his life back together and let’s assume that was true. So, for our question, let’s assume that the young man who was killed that night had not thought about reforming himself and was still making money by dealing drugs. Assume that he wasn’t a great father to his child. Would that have made the police officer’s actions, any less of a crime? Support your response.

4. The facts indicate that while both blacks and whites were involved in the fight on the train, the police detained only blacks. What is this and what is wrong with it? (Also, note that we don’t know if Officer Mehserle participated in this part of the incident. He was not one of the first officers on the scene.)

5. If you were a juror deciding a case involving a police officer, would you give him or her the benefit of the doubt or would you judge that officer as you would judge any other person?