Radio Transcript Provides Few Shooting Details

When a San Francisco regional transit police officer fired a single shot from his pistol, killing a patron on New Year’s Day 2009, there was barely a clue for the radio dispatcher that something significant had occurred. Johannes Mehserle resigned from  the BART police department shortly after the shooting, and he was later charged with second-degree murder by the district attorney. Last Friday a Los Angeles jury found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter, and various court documents were released, including the transcript of the incident’s radio broadcasts. The incident began with a fight on a moving train, which then stopped at an Oakland station. Officers were dispatched to the station, arrived and confront several men on the station platform. “Code 3 medical,” was the first radio call indicating trouble. “We have a gunshot wound victim,” an officer radioed. But there are few other details in subsequent broadcasts, including no mention that an officer has fired his weapon, or that there are no other suspects being sought. Even a lieutenant’s question about other suspects is answered only with, “Negative.” Download (pdf) the radio transcript here and consider if it provides the radio dispatcher or other officer with enough information to guide their responses.