" The burden of proof lies with the court now. This is like a Dr who goes to work loses a patient to a heart attack or stroke during a code in the ED and is charged with murder. No! As an officer of the law he was trying to keep the peace as he was hired to do when something went horribly wrong. Was there intent to murder this victim, no way! One can look at the pictures and see it in his eyes he's not guilty. God bless both family's. "

" Poor guy. I pray that the courts don't make an example out of Johannes Mehserle. He DID NOT commit murder. Everytime I ask the question, no one has an answer. Why would any police officer execute someone in front of hundreds of people? It was a mistake. I hope he gets off with a few months in jail and probation. Thats all he deserves. "

" right, he just took out his gun, flipped the safety off, pointed it at a suspect laying face down in handcuffs and fired.
yep, innocent "

" I really worry about this young man and hope they are keeping an eye on him so he doesn't do injury to himself. Just look at him...no ego, no arrogance, just a guy that will have this tragedy on his mind for the rest of his life - remorse, regret and so much more. I hope he is getting counseling.

I realize he killed someone, but I cannot believe it was anything but a tragic accident. "

" Native74: Without knowing all the facts (which will eventually come out) I can't help but feel the same way as you. What a sad situation for everyone affected by this tragedy "

" Nobody wins, except maybe some of the politicians coming out of the woodwork to milk the situation.

I can't imagine what the victim's family is going through -- or the officer's family either. "

" No sympathy from whiter Napa for the victim and his family. This officer did not just kill "someone", he killed an unarmed resident in his juristiction; a man with a child and family.

But they are not from Napa. "

" i still cant believe how many people are sticking up for this man! seriously? the man killed an unarmed man who was being held down by 3 other police officers, one of them with his knee to the young man's neck and head. if this was a bunch of young gang-bangers, nobody would be sticking up for them! they would get the death sentence for executing someone and no one would think anything of it. they would be rallying for it. but no, it's a police officer who did this. and instead of holding him to a higher standard like you should, you are claiming he MUST be innocent and they should let him off. take another look at that video and watch his hand pull back on the gun. for those of you with no experience with guns, that single movement completely obliterates any notion that he might have thought he was holding his tasor. you do not pull back on a tasor to c*ck it. so there goes that theory. next: he accidentally fired the weapon. i don't believe that for a minute. trust me, i have killed someone in self-defense. the look on his face does not mean that he is innocent. it is very common in someone's first kill to feel a sense of....well i guess the best word is shock. yes, you consciously make the desicion to fire the weapon. but the full gravity of what you have just done hits you after you fire the gun. that is what happened here. he realized what he had just done. this was no accident. he knew what he was doing the entire time. he stood up, pulled his weapon, c*cked the weapon and fired. no excuses! good for the DA charging him with murder! "

" my heart goes out to the family who's son, father,brother ,cousin , nephew, friend. lost his life while he was laying face down on the ground! and i live in napa! and i am sometime's ashamed of how most napans seem to judge people. if the table's were turend then it would be a whole different thang! this man had no choice he never seen what was behinde him! how is his family going to tell his child that he was killed by a police officers that's is here to protect and serve! that's some sad sh__ there! i know all of you will have you say but that's what this is here for right!!!!!!!! "

" verum and old_napans52 - shame on you for making this a racist 'Napa' versus poor 'Oakland' theme or at least that is what is coming across through your blog.

Try stepping outside of the state of California before making Napa seem the most racist town - boo to you. I lived in the south for many years and know a thing or two about racism as a white female working in a "mans" field not to mention living with a mixed racial family. Do I dear mention that I was also called the 'token white kid' in the crowd of my black friends? Heaven forbid this native Napan be hanging around non-whites. Whatever.

My professor was right when he said I should have been paying for that education. Napa may have been as racist as you say a couple or more decades ago, but I have seen it change. It's called inevitable growth and the great melting pot of this country. Do you realize the population growth in Napa has to do with a lot of people moving here and not some KKK seeded fear you are protraying?

As for the tragedy in Oakland? I feel for both families and hope some real information comes out during the trial that sheds light on what lead up to the shooting. I'm tired of seeing the rowdy crowd taking movies from afar, riots, and politicians/media calling for more blood! Where does it stop? "

" Yes napa52, THIS sort of thing certainly would never happen on OUR wine train "

" Okay Native74, you are one of the exceptions, congrats. I have lived in Wash DC, Florida, Georgia, Texas and Southern California during my 60 or so years and Napa still ranks at the top of the least diverse in my book. Maybe things have changed over the past 20 years some, but if you cannot see the racism in some of the posted comments, then you are not paying attention. "