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"N" Word Joins BART New Year's Shooting

Court hears BART Officer Tony Pirone shouting racial epithet

By JACKSON WEST
Updated 3:45 PM PST, Mon, Jun 29, 2009

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A shouted slur raises questions about the role race played in Oscar Grant's death.
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Though it's Johannes Mehserle on trial for murder in the fatal shooting of Oscar Grant at the Fruitvale BART station on New Year's Day, fellow officer Tony Pirone was in the hot seat in the last preliminary hearing.

A video taken by a bystander was played in which Pirone was heard shouting "bitch ass nigger" at Grant.

The comment came as Pirone was wrestling Grant to the ground.

Less than a minute later, Grant was shot by Mehserle.

Pirone explained that he was simply repeating phrase Grant had used.

Jackson West figured this case couldn't get much uglier until it just did.

Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Jun 29, 2009 3:01 PM PST

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