Facebook video shows aftermath of police shooting in Falcon Heights, Minnesota
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (KMSP) - Philando Castile was shot by a St. Anthony police officer during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota at about 9 p.m. Wednesday night, July 6. A graphic video streamed live on Facebook by Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond “Lavish” Reynolds, captured the aftermath of the shooting from inside the car and has been viewed millions of times.
Sgt. Jon Mangseth, interim chief of the St. Anthony Police Department, confirmed at least one St. Anthony police officer shot a man inside his car during a traffic stop at Larpenteur Avenue and Fry Street at approximately 9 p.m. Mangseth said he did not yet know why police initially stopped the vehicle, but in the nearly 10-minute long Facebook video, Reynolds tells the camera she and Castile were pulled over for a broken tail light. She says Castile let the officer know he has a permit to carry a firearm, and that he was reaching for his ID and wallet when he was shot. .
“Please officer, don’t tell me you just did this to him,” Reynolds said in the video. “You shot four bullets into him sir.”
The officer, who is shown in the video with his gun still drawn, is heard saying, "I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand off it." Reynolds is then ordered to get out of the car by another officer. As she exits the vehicle, the video shows several officers with their guns drawn and an officer holding her daughter. READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT
In the final moments of the video, Reynolds' daughter is heard in the background comforting her mom. “It’s okay,” she says. “I’m right here with you.”
Warning: Video contains graphic images and language.
Dead at 9:37 p.m.
Philando Castile was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:37 p.m., according to the Hennepin County medical examiner's office.
Officers identified
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension dentified the officers involved in the traffic stop as Officer Jeronimo Yanez and Officer Joseph Kauser. Both been with the St. Anthony Police Department for 4 years. Both are on standard administrative leave.
Officer Yanez was identified as the officer who shot Philando Castile. According to the BCA, Yanez approached the vehicle from the driver’s side and Officer Kauser from the passenger side. At one point during the interaction, Officer Yanez discharged his weapon, striking Castile multiple times. No one else was injured. A gun was recovered at the scene.
During an officer-involved shooting investigation, the BCA interviews witnesses and the officers involved, collects and analyzes evidence from the scene (including video evidence), and provides its findings without recommendation to the county attorney for review.
Protest at governor’s mansion
Protesters gathered outside the governor’s mansion early Thursday morning following the shooting. A group marched from the scene of the shooting at Larpenteur Avenue and Fry Street to the governor’s mansion on Summit Avenue in St. Paul. Many protestors said they would not go home until Gov. Dayton gave a statement.
The governor’s press secretary said a rumor that the governor evacuated the mansion is not true, adding that “the governor was in the residence all night, and he remains in the residence at this hour.”
Governor: ‘Justice will be served in Minnesota’
Gov. Dayton joined the NAACP at a 10 a.m. news conference outside the governor’s mansion. He said he spoke by phone with President Obama's Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough, and requested a Justice Department investigation.
“On behalf of all decent-minded Minnesotans, which are almost all of us in this state, we’re shocked and horrified by what occurred last night,” Dayton said.
The governor punctuated his remarks by saying “justice will be served in Minnesota.” Read his full statement and watch video.
‘Kids loved him’ at J.J. Hill Montessori School
Castile graduated from Central High School in 2001 and had worked for Saint Paul Public Schools since he was 19 years old, beginning in 2002, in the nutrition services department. He was promoted to a supervisor position two years ago and was currently working at J.J. Hill Montessori School.
"Kids loved him," a coworker said in a statement through St. Paul Public Schools. "He was smart, over-qualified. He was quiet, respectful, and kind."
Black community ' shaken to capacity'
"Our community is outraged by the shooting of this young man. Many of us watched the video and we are shaken to capacity," said Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima-Levy Pounds. "What this signifies to us is that Black Lives really don't matter in the state of Minnesota because this is not the first time that we have seen an innocent African-American person or another person of color killed at the hands of the police department."
President Obama statement
"All Americans should be deeply troubled by the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. We've seen such tragedies far too many times, and our hearts go out to the families and communities who've suffered such a painful loss." Read the full statement