Comments on: Bart Tragedy A Tragedy For All

By: below580

below580 — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:37:26 +0000

Valarie,

I believe you are wrong when you say that “this could happen to anyone”. While this is a tragedy for all concerned I think we do have to admit that if a fight had not erupted on BART then this would never have happened. I have been riding BART for 25 yrs and I have never even spoken to a BART cop. Although there have been many times when I have been very afraid for my safety on BART and wished for more BART cops. However, I do think you are right in saying that if it had been a white guy shot by an African American officer things would be very different. The first thing that would be different is that there wouldn’t be much media coverage and certainly no riots in Oakland. Maybe the family of the white guy would sue, but we wouldn’t hear about it since no Bay Area press would even take the time to report it. Oakland’s attitude is always anti-cop and pro minorities. I know, I live in East Oakland, below 580.

By: Wanda Tinasky

Wanda Tinasky — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:40:12 +0000

>BART is responsible for its officers >and if he is found to have done wrong >and killed an innocent man.

No, Valarie, if the officer is found to have done wrong then he should go to jail. BART is responsible for providing adequate training for its officers, not for every mishap that can possibly occur under its auspices (how could it be?). Bad cops sometimes go undetected, good cops sometimes make honest mistakes – that’s just part of life. Levying absurd penalties will do nothing to change that.

>Cause this could have happen to anyone in the Bay Area.

I dunno, I’m 35 and somehow have avoided *ever* getting arrested. I guess I’m just lucky.

By: TheBoss

TheBoss — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:17:00 +0000

valarie – I spent much of the posting making very clear that the incident is a tragedy.

Still, how will a massive payout help anything? It won’t bring back the young man, and it won’t serve “justice” on Bart. Bart is not a person. It’s a governmental entity. Frankly, it doesn’t care if it has to pay out $25 million to someone, and I doubt very much that a big payout will make this less likely to happen in the future. In fact, it will probably make it more likely, by decreasing funding for officer training.

By: valarie

valarie — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:49:40 +0000

If all you can think about is how much money this is going to cost BART and not the see how killing an unarmed man is wrong then that says a lot about you. I am sure if it was a white man shot by a black officer we would not be having this discusion. BART is responsible for its officers and if he is found to have done wrong and killed an innocent man. Then they should pay plain and simple. I just wonder what other cases are out there. Cause this could have happen to anyone in the Bay Area.

By: mark ross

mark ross — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:46:47 +0000

In the In Re Nagle case, the U.S. Supreme Court rulled that cops can’t be sued as individuals for damages done in the course of their duties. This was probably an accident… also probably a really stupid accident. BART doesn’t run on fares… it runs on sales and property tax. $25 million is chump change! That, as of this moment, the shooter has not been interrogated by the powers that be… the Chief of BART Police and other heads should already be rolling.

By: SF2OAK

SF2OAK — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:47:30 +0000

I’m guessing that sure you start out with an opening demand, but that will be negotiated down. This will take years to litigate so the money will not have to be paid out now, of course we’ll have to pay attorney’s & investigative fees on an ongoing basis. Sure I’m outraged if it is as it appears that a cop could shoot somebody who was apparently under control but I’m also even more concerned about the mob rule and that cops have no control on BART and that this is the type of citizens we are producing.