Officials Release Philando Castile Video And It's Horrific

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When you watch the disturbing police dash cam video of the fatal shooting of Philando Castile, you will wonder just how a jury could acquit St. Anthony, Minnesota, police officer Jeronimo Yanez. But this is America, a country founded on racial oppression, right?

Yeah, Yanez appears weepy and remorseful, but all of that emotion does not account for the lack of training that compelled the officer to shoot and kill a lawful gun owner, who told him he had a weapon. Just moments before the fatal shooting, Castile can be heard on the video, saying, “I wasn’t reaching for it.” Where is outcry from the National Rifle Association?

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which investigated the shooting, on Tuesday released video of the July 2016. The nearly 10-minute video shows Yanez rapidly firing seven shots into the vehicle of Castile, 32. The clip’s release comes just days after Yanez was cleared of second-degree manslaughter, a decision that was greeted by protests around the nation. It also comes just weeks after Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who livestreamed the aftermath of the shooting, testified she feared for her life when confronted by Yanez.

The video was shown in court during Yanez’ manslaughter trial, reports CNN. It was a summer evening when Yanez approached Castile’s white 1997 Oldsmobile before leaning in to speak through the driver’s window. Another officer was standing farther away on the passenger side of the car where Reynolds was sitting. Reynolds’s 4-year-old daughter was in the backseat.

Yanez told Castile that his brake lights were out and then asked for his driver’s license and insurance. Castile then told the police officer that he had a weapon, which the cop instructed him not to reach for, reports the news outlet.

The routine stop escalated quickly when Yanez fired seven fast shots into the car, striking Castile five times. The scene grew more choatic as Yanez shouted obscenities and blamed Castile for his death, saying, “I told him not to reach for the gun.” Meanwhile, Castile’s bullet-riddled body was pulled from the car and laid on the street.

Yanez is no longer a St. Anthony police officer, according to a statement from the city.

What will it take to change police interactions with Black folks? Sound off in comments.

SOURCE: Southwest Minneapolis Patch, CNN

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