RTFA: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/…

(01-14) 00:13 PST Oakland — The BART police officer who fatally shot an unarmed man on an Oakland train platform and then refused to explain his actions to investigators was arrested Tuesday in Nevada on suspicion of murder, authorities said.

Johannes Mehserle, 27, of Lafayette was taken into custody in Douglas County, Nev., said Deputy Steve Velez of the Douglas County sheriff’s office. The arrest was also confirmed by David Chai, chief of staff to Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums.

Mehserle was arrested in the New Year’s Day shooting of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old supermarket worker from Hayward who was lying facedown after being pulled off a BART train by police investigating a fight. An Alameda County judge signed an arrest warrant alleging murder, and Mehserle surrendered without incident, authorities said.

Kill somebody, interfere with the investigation, and flee to Nevada… this is totally acceptable behavior if you’re a former “cop.”

Wait. What?!

At this point, I’m not about to grandstand about this guy being guilty of murder or anything… that’s what the trial is for. However, I will say that he killed Oscar Grant, and it would be hard to convince me that there was reason for it… it would be hard to convince me that he should have even pulled his gun. So: murder? Well, that’s what the trial is for.

Maybe it’s a little bit of, “sorry son. You’ve got to go.” …in which case, the Grim Reaper walks among us with a fierce, strange intensity and acts with alarmingly dispassionate fury. Can we call this murder? For the third time: that’s what the trial is for.