Oscar Grant Beaten by Police Prior to Murder

A newly obtained video of Oscar Grant’s murder on New Year’s day reveals that he was assaulted by BART Police Officer Tony Pirone before the shooting. The grainy footage shows the officer lunging at Grant and punching him in the face until he falls to the ground.

Everyone knows what happened next: thrown on his stomach, and with Pirone's knee pressed against his neck, Grant was shot in the back by BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle.

BART officials' sluggish, tone-deaf response to the slaying ignited protests in Oakland and other parts of the Bay Area. Eventually, the public outcry over Grant's shooting led prosecutors to charge Mehserle with murder.