Justice? Officer Who Shot Philando Castile Charged With Manslaughter

Ramsey County prosecutors announced the Minnesota officer who killed Philando Castile has been charged second-degree manslaughter, Officer Jeronimo Yanez was also charged with two felony counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm, said attorney John J. Choi.

“It is my conclusion that the use of deadly force by Officer Yanez was not justified and that sufficient facts exist to prove this to be true,” said Choi in a press conference.  

After Yanez shot Castile, he alleged that the cafeteria worker was reaching for a weapon; however, investigators determined that the gun was deep in his pocket, along with registration to carry.

Although no dashcam footage was released, Choi said that the footage showed Castile acting "calmly and in a non-threatening manner.” When Yanez fired his weapon in a panic, Castile’s final words were, “I wasn’t reaching for it,” said Choi.

"Philando Castile was not resisting or fleeing," Choi added at a press conference Wednesday. "There was absolutely no criminal intent exhibited by him throughout this encounter.... He was respectful and compliant.... He volunteered in good faith that he had a firearm beyond what the law requires."

The death of Castile also highlighted a disproportionate number of arrests and traffic stops of African-American residents. Before his untimely death, Castile had been pulled over by officers 46 previous times.