Dashcam video from police shooting of Philando Castile released
— -- Dashcam video from the fatal shooting of a black man by a Minnesota police officer was released by officials Tuesday, days after the officer was acquitted in the man's death.
In July 2016, St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez, who is Latino, shot Philando Castile, 32, several times during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul. In the car with Castile was his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and Reynolds' 4-year-old daughter. Reynolds live-streamed the shooting's aftermath on Facebook Live. Yanez has since been fired from the police force.
The 10-minute video, which was released by Ramsey County in Minnesota, shows Yanez driving behind the white sedan Castile was driving before pulling him over.
Yanez approaches the car and says, "Hello, sir," to Castile, who responds, "How are you?"
"Good," Yanez replies and says he pulled him over because a brake light on the car is out. Yanez then asks for Castile's license and insurance while another officer stands by the passenger side of the car.
Castile hands a piece of paper to Yanez and says, "Sir, I have to tell you, I do have a firearm on me."
"OK. Don't reach for it, then," Yanez says as he appears to reach for his own weapon. "Don't pull it out."
As Yanez repeats, "Don't pull it out," he grabs his gun, points it inside the car and fires multiple rounds. Reynolds can be heard screaming inside the car during the shooting.
Yanez orders her not to move, then says, "F---," multiple times.
Reynolds' daughter, who was in the backseat at the time, then exits through the passenger side, and the other officer picks her up and carries her out of view.
As Reynolds explains that Castile was reaching to get out his ID, Yanez says, "I told him not to reach for it."
Yanez radios for help, and minutes later, after additional officers arrive, they pull Castile's body out of the car and attempt to render aid.
After an ambulance arrives, Yanez can be heard off camera, breathing heavily as he says, "He had his grip a lot wider than a wallet, and I don't know where the gun was. He didn't tell me where the f------ gun was."
The video was played during Yanez's trial. He was found not guilty of second-degree manslaughter last Friday, and the city of St. Anthony announced that day that he had been fired.
Prosecutors claimed that Yanez did not see the gun and acted unreasonably, while the defense argued that he saw Castile's hand on the gun, which he had a permit to carry, the AP said.
Defense attorney Earl Gray said that the "verdict was correct" and that the "jury worked hard." Another defense attorney, Thomas Kelly, that while Castile's death was a tragedy, he is "satisfied" with the verdict and "relieved" that the trial is over.
After the verdict was announced Friday, Castile's family addressed the media, applauding the efforts of special prosecutor Don Lewis and his team.
"I don't know what more could have been done," said Castile family attorney Glenda Hatchett. "I am disappointed. My heart breaks for this family. My heart breaks for this nation."
Philando Castile's mother, Valerie Castile, said she was "mad as hell" about the verdict and called Yanez a "murderer."
"The system continues to fail all black people," she said.
She continued, "I am so disappointed in the state of Minnesota. My son loved this state."
