Johannes mehserle released

(CBS/KPIX/AP)OAKLAND, Calif - Johannes Mehserle, the white former Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer convicted last summer in the fatal shooting of unarmed black passenger Oscar Grant, was released from jail early Monday after serving 11 months of a two-year sentence, officials said.

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Mehserle, 29, was confined in a Los Angeles County jail since he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter last July for the 2009 New Year's Day shooting at the Fruitvale BART Station, reports CBS station KPIX.

The shooting continues to spark debate, racial tension and occasional protests that have turned violent. On Sunday, about 300 protesters held a fairly peaceful demonstration in downtown Oakland as they vented their continued frustration over the shooting and Mehserle's release.

"People are hurting, and that's understandable," said Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts, reports the station. "As before, we're asking people to do their first amendmen