Jury selection begins Wednesday in the case of former Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer Johannes Mehserle who is accused of fatally shooting the unarmed Oscar Grant on a train platform on New Year's Day last year. Mehserle has pleaded not guilty to killing Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old black man. The trial has been moved from Alameda County to Los Angeles due to pre-trial publicity.

Bay Area Rapid Transit police were called to Oakland's Fruitvale station January 1, 2009, after passengers complained about fights on a train. Officers pulled several men, including Grant, off the train when it arrived at Fruitvale. Many witnesses captured the shooting of Oscar Grant on their camera phones which shows that the victim was not fighting back or resisting arrest when he was killed.
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights joined the call for justice in the shooting of Oscar Grant III when the incident first occured. As an organization that has tackled the issue of police brutality and accountability for the past 12 years, we share in the anger, sadness, and frustration this tragedy has stirred within our community and beyond. As the trial convenes, we at the Ella Baker Center reflect on the sad loss of Oscar's life and hope that the proceedings will be held with fairness and justice.

To stay up to date with the Trial,  Oakland Local, SpotUS, New America Media, cybergrrr, theblackhour, KALW and others are teaming up to offer independent coverage of the trial of former BART officer Johannes Mehserle for the killing of Oscar Grant.  Follow live tweets from outside the courtroom by following @oscargranttrial on Twitter.

Read Oscar Grant/Johannes Mehserle coverage here: http://bit.ly/atOm5t

Let us all come together and suporrt Justice for Oscar Grant!