Conviction: Swedish rapper found guilty in road rage killing

Feb. 1, 2010, 3:21 p.m.

David Jassy appears in court in March 2009. Credit: Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press David Jassy, a 35-year old black man, was found guilty Monday of second-degree murder in the death of John Osnes, a 55-year old white man, who was killed during what authorities described as a road rage incident.

John Osnes, 55 Osnes, a jazz musician and avid pedestrian, had struck the front of Jassy's SUV with his hands after the vehicle edged into a Hollywood crosswalk in the early morning of Nov. 23, 2008. Witnesses told police that Jassy exited his vehicle punched Osnes, kicked him in the head when he stooped to recover his glasses and then ran over him with the vehicle.

Read more on the conviction from Times' reporter Harriet Ryan on L.A. Now: Swedish rapper found guilty of second-degree murder in road rage incident

FAQ: Why does the Homicide Report give the race of victims and suspects?

Photos, top: David Jassy appears in court in March 2009. Credit: Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press; bottom: John Osnes, 55.

27 reader comments

White man nearly hits black man in crosswalk and black man slaps his car, so white man gets out, screaming "Stupid! Why did you touch my car?!" and punches black man in the face. As black man stoops to fetch his glasses, white man kicks him in the face like his head is a football, knocking him unconscious. The head injury is fatal. White man gets in SUV and runs black man over as he flees. At trial, people shake their heads, admitting "he had a temper, but black man shouldn't have slapped his car." Hate is never considered as a motivation and white man is sentenced for "accidental murder". Newspaper describes it and white men post "how are their races relevant? Leave race out!" Yeah, they'd look about as stupid as you do right now.

The LA Times would have to report "black man murders white man" many more times before they'd even be describing reality, let alone bias! You're offended they said "black"? I'm offended at the unreported slaughter of my race I thought they were trying to cover up, never realizing they had to deal with morons who claim race is "irrelevant" so long as it's black on white crime. Remember how irrelevant it is the next time a white man murders a black man over so little provocation. I'd like to see the city's race ratios of offenders and victims when crimes cross racial lines. That reminds me to let the LA Times know that I want them to stop reporting when the murderer is male and the victim female. It has resulted in women fearing strange men on the streets after midnight, and the sidewalk no longer seems like a singles bar, and there's even this entire network called Lifetime which portrays men like they're more likely to murder women than vice versa, for some reason. The news and media stereotyping needs to stop!

— I'm Not A Thug, But I Play One In The Newspaper Feb. 9, 2010 at 5:15 a.m.

Actually, as a citizen of LA, I am quite interested in the race of offenders in this city, especially for murder. How am I supposed to know who to tiptoe around? Osnes was clearly under the mistaken impression that he could slap Jassy's car, and see where that misimpression got him? I want to be PC and all, but not enough to wind up dead. Thank you, LA Times, for putting our safety before the thought police, and by labeling the race of offenders, you can also help dispel myths people might hold. Stereotypes are also broken by truthful, detailed and accurate reporting. If it's true that black people murder more, I want to know, and if it's not true, I also want to know. I don't want to be guessing in the dark, and a newspaper's job is to prevent people from guessing in the dark. They should deliver the facts and details (especially regarding murder!), as that is their job. Some people forget how many social programs are rooted in disparate crime statistics. But to appease those who are so upset, I'll count this guy on my "Swedish tempers" list.

— DoTheMath Feb. 8, 2010 at 10:01 p.m.

there is no good rationale for including race in this article, even the week answer provided in FAQ. "Report departs from this rule in the interest of presenting the most complete and accurate demographic picture of who is at risk of dying from homicide" what a bunch of BS, so we are to assume that white people have a great risk of dying from a road rage incident? Being that Jassy is half black and half white, why not mention the fact that he is biracial if you want people to have an accurate indicator of who it is that might kill them. I mean people are going to be leery of black people behind the wheel, when in fact its the biracial ones that have the attitude problem, big difference in appearance. So again what was the reasoning? You might as well be honest and say to perpetuate the negative stereo types of black people.

— JD Feb. 4, 2010 at 2:14 p.m.

Frequent readers of the Homicide Report know that from its inception the report gave the race of victims as well as those suspected and/or convicted of the homicides. The following is from the Homicide Report's FAQ:

The Homicide Report includes information on race or ethnicity in its weekly lists of homicide victims issued by the Los Angeles County coroner, as well as the name, gender and age of each victim, and the time, place and manner of death.

A number of readers have asked why race is included. Some have criticized the practice.

Racial information was once routinely included in news stories about crimes, but in recent decades, newspapers and other media outlets stopped mentioning suspects' or victims' race or ethnicity because of public criticism.

Newspapers came to embrace the idea that such information is irrelevant to the reporting of crimes, and may unfairly stigmatize racial groups. The Homicide Report departs from this rule in the interest of presenting the most complete and accurate demographic picture of who is at risk of dying from homicide in Los Angeles County.

To read more about the decision to include race visit the FAQ section along the right rail of the blog. http://projects.latimes.com/homicide-report/about/#race

— Anthony Pesce/Los Angeles Times Feb. 2, 2010 at 11:30 a.m.

The Homicide Report

Conviction: Swedish rapper found guilty in road rage killing

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