Thousands march after Minnesota officer acquitted in death of Philando Castile

By AP | Last updated: Jun 20, 2017 - 2:13:55 PM

Police and demonstrators stand on Interstate 94 on Friday night, June 16, in St. Paul, Minn. A Minnesota police officer, Jeronimo Yanez, was cleared June 16 in the fatal shooting of Philando Castile, a Black motorist whose death captured national attention when his girlfriend streamed the grim aftermath on Facebook.

Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, spoke with passion about her reaction to a not guity verdict for Officer Jeronimo Yanez at the Ramsey County Courthouse in St. Paul, Minn., on June 16. Photo: AP/Wide World photos (R) Philando Castile was shot and killed while in his car during a traffic stop.

A Minnesota police officer was recently cleared in the fatal shooting of Philando Castile, a Black motorist whose death captured national attention when his girlfriend streamed the grim aftermath on Facebook.

Mr. Castile’s family stormed out of the courtroom after the verdict was read, and the city of St. Anthony swiftly announced plans to dismiss Officer Jeronimo Yanez, despite his acquittal. Mr. Yanez was charged with manslaughter in the death of Mr. Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker, during a July 6 traffic stop that turned deadly seconds after Mr. Castile alerted the officer that he was carrying a gun. Mr. Castile had a permit for the weapon.

“The fact in this matter is that my son was murdered, and I’ll continue to say murdered, because where in this planet (can you) tell the truth, and you be honest, and you still be murdered by the police of Minnesota,” his mother, Valerie Castile, said, referring to the fact that her son was shot after he volunteered to Off. Yanez, “Sir, I have to tell you, I do have a firearm on me.”

“He didn’t deserve to die the way he did,” Philando Castile’s sister, Allysza, said, through tears. “I will never have faith in the system.”

Officer Jeronimo Yanez charged with manslaughter for killing Philando Castile.

Thousands of people gathered June 16 at the nearby state Capitol to protest the verdict, and began a march that organizers said was headed for the St. Paul Cathedral. The mixed-race crowd, including many people with children, carried signs that read “Unite for Philando” and “Corrupt systems only corrupt.”

The protest was peaceful as darkness fell, but a smaller group splintered off and walked down an entrance ramp to block Interstate 94, quickly snarling traffic and leading to the freeway’s shutdown in both directions. A police line confronted marchers down the highway, but after a standoff of more than 90 minutes, the group dwindled and appeared to largely clear the interstate without police using force.

Before the march began, John Thompson, who worked with Castile in St. Paul’s public schools, stirred the crowd at the Capitol with profanity-laden remarks screamed into a microphone.

“You all murdered my friend and got away with it!” he shouted. “He got away with murder!”

Jurors deliberated for about 29 hours over five days before reaching the verdict. Prosecutors argued that Off. Yanez had overreacted and that Mr. Castile, a school cafeteria worker, was not a threat. Off. Yanez, who is Latino, testified that Mr. Castile was pulling his gun out of his pocket despite his commands not to do so. The defense also argued Mr. Castile was high on marijuana and said that affected his actions.

Family and friends of Valerie Castile and Philando Castile, including John Thompson, center, wept as he walked out of the courthouse after Geronimo Yanez was found not guilty on all counts in the shooting death of Philander Castile, June 16 in St. Paul, Minn.

Off. Yanez stared ahead with no reaction as the verdict was read. Afterward, one of his attorneys, Tom Kelly, said the defense was “satisfied” and “felt all along his conduct was justified.”

“However that doesn’t take away from the tragedy of the event,” Atty. Kelly added.

City officials in St. Anthony said they would offer Off. Yanez a “voluntary separation” because they had concluded “the public will be best served” if he is no longer an officer there.

Prosecutor John Choi, who made the decision to charge Off. Yanez, said he knows the acquittal is painful for many people, but that the verdict “must be respected.”

“I don’t doubt that Officer Yanez is a decent person, but he made a horrible mistake from our perspective, and that’s what this case was about,” Mr. Choi said. “I know that if he could, he would take back what he did, and we all wish, and he would too, that this never happened.”

This combination of file photos show key figures in the manslaughter trial of St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez in the July 2016 death of Philando Castile. Top row from left are Ramsey County Attorney John Choi; Diamond Reynolds, the girlfriend of Philando Castile, who live streamed his shooting on Facebook; Philando Castile's mother Valerie Castile; and bottom row from left are defense attorney Earl Gray; defense attorney Paul Engh; and defense attorney Thomas Kelly. On June 16, Yanez was acquitted in the killing of Castile, a Black motorist, that drew widespread attention when video of the shooting's aftermath was streamed live. Photos: AP/Wide World photos

Mr. Castile’s shooting was among a string of killings of Blacks by police around the U.S. The livestreaming of its aftermath by Mr. Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who was in the car with her then-4-year-old daughter, attracted even more attention. Mr. Castile’s family claimed he was profiled because of his race, and the shooting renewed concerns about how police officers interact with minorities.

Gov. Mark Dayton offered his condolences to Mr. Castile’s family after the verdict, calling his death “a terrible tragedy” in a statement that made no mention of Mr. Yanez. Gov. Dayton, a Democrat, drew criticism in the days after the shooting for suggesting that Mr. Castile might not have been shot if he was White.

The evidence included squad car video, but its wide view didn’t capture exactly what happened inside the car—leaving jurors to essentially decide whether they believed Off. Yanez when he said Mr. Castile had his hand on the gun. Prosecutors questioned whether Off. Yanez had even seen it, and witnesses testified that it was in a pocket of Mr. Castile’s shorts when paramedics pulled him from the car.

Juror Dennis Ploussard said the jury was split 10-2 early in the week in favor of acquittal. They spent a lot of time dissecting the “culpable negligence” requirement for conviction, and the last two holdouts eventually agreed June 16 on acquittal. He declined to say whether he thought Off. Yanez acted appropriately, but said the jury sympathizes with the Castile family.

“We struggled with it. I struggled with it. It was very, very hard,” Mr. Ploussard said, adding that he thought the jury delivered the right verdict.

He would not identify the two early holdouts, but said they were not the jury’s only two Black members. The rest of the jurors were White. None was Latino.

Off. Yanez was charged with second-degree manslaughter, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, though sentencing guidelines suggested around four years would have been more likely. Off. Yanez was also cleared of lesser counts related to endangering Mr. Castile’s girlfriend and her daughter for firing his gun into the car near them.

Off. Yanez testified that he stopped Mr. Castile in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights because he thought he looked like one of two men who had robbed a nearby convenience store a few days earlier. Mr. Castile’s car had a faulty brake light, giving the 29-year-old officer reason to pull him over, several experts testified.

The squad car video shows Off. Yanez approaching Mr. Castile’s car and asking for a driver’s license and proof of insurance. Mr. Castile appears to give something to Off. Yanez through the driver’s side window. Mr. Castile then informs the officer he’s carrying a weapon, but before he finishes his sentence, Off. Yanez has his hand on his own gun and is pulling it out of the holster. There is shouting, and Off. Yanez screams, “Don’t pull it out!” before he fires seven shots into the car, five of which hit Mr. Castile. Prosecutors say Mr. Castile’s last words were: “I wasn’t reaching for it.”

After shooting Mr. Castile, Off. Yanez is heard on the squad car video telling a supervisor that he didn’t know where Mr. Castile’s gun was, then that he told Mr. Castile to get his hand off it. Off. Yanez testified that he meant that he didn’t see the gun at first, then saw it in Mr. Castile’s “right thigh area.” He said Mr. Castile ignored his commands to stop pulling it out of his pocket. Off. Yanez’s voice choked with emotion as he talked of being “scared to death” and thinking of his wife and baby daughter in the split-second before he fired.

Prosecutors argued that Off. Yanez could have taken lesser steps, such as asking to see Mr. Castile’s hands or asking where the gun was.

Ms. Reynolds testified that she began recording the shooting’s aftermath because she feared for her life and wanted to make sure the truth was known. Defense attorneys pointed to inconsistencies in several of her statements. (AP)

The Final Call