On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile, a 32 year-old African-American man, was fatally shot by police officer Jeronimo Yanez, a Hispanic-American, during a traffic stop in St. Anthony, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul. In the car with Castile was his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and Reynolds' 4 year old child. Castile disclosed to Yanez that he had a registered firearm in the car. Upon some movement in the vehicle (both parties dispute what Castile was reaching for), Yanez opened fire on Castile, shooting him five times at point-blank range. Reynolds recorded a live stream video in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and posted it on Facebook.
Yanez was charged with second degree manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm, facing up to 10 years under Minnesota law. On June 16, 2017, after five days of deliberation, a 12-member jury acquitted Yanez of all charge. The vote was initially 10–2 in favor of acquitting Yanez; after further deliberation the two remaining jurors were also swayed to acquit. The city reached a $3.8 million settlement with Castile's family and Reynolds after they filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
This guide is intended to serve as a collection of resources about the criminal case against Yanez and its context, including the public response to Castille's death.
Photo: "March against the Yanez not guilty verdict in the shooting of Philando Castile" by Fibonacci Blue is licensed under CC BY- 2.0
Jeronimo Yanez was charged with second degree manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm.
