Authorities released Johannes Mehserle from Los Angeles County jail just after midnight Monday.

The former BART transit officer had served 11 months of his two-year sentence after his conviction for killing Oscar Grant III, an unarmed black man, on the platform of the Fruitvale station just after New Year's in 2009.

A judge ruled Friday that Mehserle should be released early for time served and good behavior.

The case has touched off several protests in the Bay Area, including sporadic rioting and mass arrests following last year's verdict convicting Mehserle of involuntary manslaughter. Hundreds of people marched peacefully Sunday in Oakland in anticipation of his release.