[kellyhound]

The Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop was acquitted on all charges by a jury Friday, a decision that came nearly a year after the encounter was partially streamed online to a rapt nation in the midst of a painful reckoning over shootings by law enforcement.

Officer Jeronimo Yanez pulled Castile’s car over in ****** Heights, a suburb near Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the officer later said he thought Castile matched the description of a suspect in a robbery. The stop quickly escalated.

Yanez fired into the car, saying later he thought Castile was going for his gun, a claim Castile’s girlfriend, sitting in the seat next to him, disputed. She began streaming the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook Live.

Police officers are seldom charged for fatal on-duty shootings and convictions are even less common. Castile’s death came at a time of intense scrutiny of fatal police-involved shootings, and the viral video of his final moments spurred heated demonstrations that continued for weeks.

Outside the court, where a small group of protesters gathered Friday afternoon, Castile’s relatives denounced the jury’s decision. Castile’s mother called his death a murder and tied the verdict to what she described as systemic racism in Minnesota.

“The system continues to fail black people, and it will continue to fail you all,” Valerie Castile said, her anger building. “My son loved this city and this city killed my son. And the murderer gets away. Are you kidding me right now?”

Prosecutors charged Yanez with second-degree manslaughter in November, a felony, saying that “no reasonable officer” would have used deadly force in the same situation. He also was charged with two felony counts for intentionally discharging the gun. Jurors began deliberating Monday, and the verdict was announced Friday afternoon.

Gov. Mark Dayton (D) said the state continues to grieve with Castile’s family, calling his death “a terrible tragedy, with devastating consequences for everyone involved.”

On Friday evening, several hundred protesters amassed around the steps of the state Capitol in St. Paul to decry the verdict.

“The city intends to offer Officer Yanez a voluntary separation agreement to help him transition to another career other than being a St. Anthony officer,” the city said in a statement. “The terms of this agreement will be negotiated in the near future, so details are not available at this time. In the meantime, Officer Yanez will not return to active duty.”

Earl Gray, an attorney for Yanez, praised the jury’s decision. “The verdict was a correct verdict,” he said, speaking to reporters after he left the courthouse. “In my opinion, the case should’ve never been charged.”

Federal officials were assessing the verdict Friday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. That office had dispatched a career prosecutor to assist with the state’s case.

“We determined that this course of action was the strongest available avenue for a prosecution, given the higher level of intent required under the applicable federal criminal civil rights law,” the office said in a statement. “In the wake of today’s verdict, we are assessing whether any additional federal review is justified.”

During the trial, jurors heard testimony from dozens of witnesses, including Yanez, who cried on the stand while saying he did not want to shoot Castile. Yanez testified that he thought his life was in danger at the time, and attorneys for Yanez have argued that Castile caused his own death because of his actions during the traffic stop.

Update added to OP.

[russell515034]

Authorities have released dashcam footage of the traffic stop in which Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez fatally shot black motorist, Philando Castile.

The squad-car video, which filmed the encounter between Yanez and Castile, shows the officer firing seven gunshots at the motorist during a traffic stop last July.

The graphic footage is evidence from the trial of Yanez, who was let go from the St. Anthony police force last week after he was acquitted of manslaughter in the shooting death of Castile.

The dashboard camera shows the shooting itself -- unlike the Facebook live video that was filmed by Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds in the aftermath of the shooting.

The video shows Yanez following Castile's car, then pulling it over. Yanez approaches Castile's car and asks for a driver's license and proof of insurance.

Castile then gives the proof of insurance to Yanez through the driver's side window. Castile is then heard saying, "Sir, I have to tell you, I do have a firearm on me."

Castile had a permit to carry his weapon.

Yanez then reaches for his own gun, pulls it from the holster and tells Castile not to reach for his gun. There is shouting, and Yanez screams "Don't pull it out!" before he fires seven shots into the car.

The video shows Yanez's backup, Officer Joseph Kauser, standing on the passenger side of the vehicle, jumping back and retreating when the shots were fired.

After the shooting, the video shows Yanez standing at the car window, with his gun drawn for some time. Reynolds' then-4-year-old daughter starts to get out of the car and is grabbed by an officer. The video then shows help arriving at the scene.

Yanez's defence attorney argued the officer "did what he had to do" when he shot Castile. Yanez testified that he feared for his life after Castile refused to put his gun away.

[russell515034]

The video didn't load the first time. Sorry guys.

[wbg7537]

Seems like the cop was in the wrong on this one.

[Tamwes]

Poor guy. He was really in fear for his life and reacted.

[Marek Kucera]

Jesus the kid getting out the car.

[bike1941]

Originally Posted by wbg7537 ↗

Seems like the cop was in the wrong on this one.

Cop over react just a little don't ya think. He could not even calm down after that

[1/2Woman1/2Man]

Did Castile reach for his gun? If so then Yanez was totally justified

[HowardHughes]

When you have a firearm thats fine, you just need to tell them where it is but if you dont have BOTH hands on your steering wheel when you tell them, its your own fault. HOWEVER with that said, the cop shouldnt have got jumpy, he showed he didnt read the situation very well, castile has his girl and presumably his daughter in a white car, and castile calmly told him he felt he should notify the officer he has a firearm. In my opinion both of these guys fucked up

[HowardHughes]

Originally Posted by SteveBennettski ↗

Did Castile reach for his gun? If so then Yanez was totally justified

Likely not, probably going for his wallet, but could have been reaching near it as to visually, and casually show it. castiles mistake was clearly not having both hands on the wheel when telling him he has a firearm, and not immediately telling the officer where the firearm was at all. Best thing to do is have hands on wheel, tell officer you have the weapon, tell them where it is exactly, and finally tell where your documents are and ask if it is ok if you reach for them