Friends of unarmed man killed at Calif. train station sue, allege civil rights violations

Friends of man killed at Calif. train station sue

SAN FRANCISCO — Five friends of a 22-year-old man fatally shot in California by a former transit officer are suing the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency, alleging civil rights violations.

In a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in San Francisco, the five are also suing the agency’s police chief, general manager and the officers involved in the New Year’s Day shooting.

The men say transit officers detained them for several hours when their friend Oscar Grant was killed. Grant was unarmed when he was shot on an Oakland train station platform.

Johannes Mehserle has pleaded not guilty to Grant’s murder. Mehserle’s attorney says his client intended to pull his Taser instead of his handgun.

They are seeking unspecified damages.