OAKLAND, Calif. -- Angry community leaders, activists and citizens demanded action from the BART board Thursday after a night of violence on the streets of Oakland in response to the slaying of a Hayward man by a transit police officer.

The transit directors began their meeting with a moment of silence for Oscar Grant III, a Hayward man who was shot and killed by a BART police officer Jan. 1.

But the moment of silence was followed by angry speeches by elected officials and community members who said the transit agency has done a poor job of responding to the public's outrage at Grant's shooting death at the Fruitvale station in Oakland.

Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson told BART directors, "You had a responsibility to contact this community and say, 'We need to talk."'

Saying Grant's death at the hands of BART police officer Johannes Mehserle "appeared to be an execution," Carson called for BART to hold a public meeting that allows the community to understand the policies and procedures in which police officers shoot people.

Oakland City Councilwoman Desley Brooks said BART appeared to be trying to cover up the incident and alleged, "There was a failure to communicate and acknowledge the taking of a life."

Responding to similar comments Brooks made previously, BART spokesman Linton Johnson said Wednesday that he believes the transit agency has been "extremely forthcoming with the information that we are permitted by law to release."

"We share in the public's frustration," Johnson said. "But the bottom line is we're held to a higher standard, which requires us to complete a thorough investigation and we have to gather all of the facts - and all of the facts are not in."

Meanwhile, long-time civil rights activist Rev. Amos Brown of San Francisco labeled Grant’s slaying as a case of ‘murder.’

“We need to embrace a reverence and respect for all human life,” he told the board. “This goes not only for this officer who murdered Oscar Grant…But this goes for our young people in the hood in Oakland, San Francisco and Richmond who also have been trigger happy.”

The shooting has sparked numerous demonstrations by community members, including one that evolved into a violent protest in downtown Oakland Wednesday night, resulting in more than 100 arrests, at least one injury and extensive vandalism.

Brooks pointed out that most protests in the wake of grants death have been peaceful and that violence last night was caused by "a renegade group" that wanted to "wreak havoc."

Carson said he was "extremely saddened" by the violence.

Oakland officials said the mayor's office would likely announce that the Oakland Police Department will conduct its own investigation into the BART shooting.

Because the shooting happened at a BART station, BART police have been conducting the primary investigation into the incident. The Alameda County District Attorney's office is also conducting its own investigation.

Oakland spokeswoman Karen Boyd said this morning that Mayor Ron Dellums recognized the community's frustration with the situation and asked Oakland police to step in.

"(Dellums') sense was late yesterday ... that people have really lost confidence in the process," Boyd said.

She said Dellums is directing the Police Department to begin the investigation immediately and expects an announcement to be made later today.

Dellums appeared downtown during the protests Wednesday night and mentioned the possibility of a new investigation while walking with demonstrators down 14th Street toward City Hall around 9:30 p.m.

"I've asked Oakland to investigate the homicide the way they would investigate any homicide," Dellums told a protester who questioned him on what was being done about the shooting.

Oakland police spokesman Jeff Thomason confirmed that talks are under way today between Oakland police, the mayor's office and BART.

"It's still (BART's) jurisdiction and we're not just going to go in there because the mayor says to go in there - we still have to work it out with them," he said.

He said Oakland police are well equipped to handle the situation.

"Our homicide unit is probably one of the best in the state at these types of investigations," he said.

Thomason mentioned the possibility of Oakland police taking over the investigation, but Boyd said BART would continue to investigate the case, even if Oakland police conducted their own probe.