07-09-2016, 05:37 PM
Philando Castile Case Update: Officer's Attorney Issues Brief Statement
Minneapolis defense attorney Thomas Kelly told the press that officer Jeronimo Yanez was reacting to "the presence of that gun and the display of that gun" and that the shooting had nothing to do with race. He declined to elaborate on how Castile displayed the weapon or what led up to the deadly Wednesday traffic stop. Kelly said that officer Yanez feels for the family and loved ones of Philando Castile.
Yanez, who is Lationo, shot Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, a mostly white community of 5,000, is served primarily by the nearby St. Anthony Police Department.
![[Image: officers-joseph-kauser-and-jeronimo-yane...360&crop=1]](https://cbsminnesota.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/officers-joseph-kauser-and-jeronimo-yanez.jpg?w=640&h=360&crop=1)
Authorities say that during the traffic stop, Yanez (^right) approached Castile's car from the driver's side and another officer, Joseph Kauser (^ left), approached from the passenger side. Yanez opened fire, striking Castile multiple times. Yanez and Kauser, both four-year veterans, were put on administrative leave, as is standard, authorities said.
Diamond Reynolds, Castile's girlfriend who recorded and streamed the aftermath of the shooting from inside the car, said that "at the end of the day, it's their word against ours, and I just wanted the people to see that we didn't do this to ourselves."
When asked by a reporter yesterday, Reynolds responded that she doesn't think the way to answer incidents like Castile's death is through violence, saying that Castile would be hurt, sad and devastated over the deadly attack in Dallas the next night that killed five police officers.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said several videos, including squad car video, have been collected, though St. Anthony officers don't wear body cameras.
I hope the squad car video is valid and provides some more insight into what happened, though I doubt it captured any of the encounter at the car and the shooting itself.
Ref: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-po...-gun-race/
Minneapolis defense attorney Thomas Kelly told the press that officer Jeronimo Yanez was reacting to "the presence of that gun and the display of that gun" and that the shooting had nothing to do with race. He declined to elaborate on how Castile displayed the weapon or what led up to the deadly Wednesday traffic stop. Kelly said that officer Yanez feels for the family and loved ones of Philando Castile.
Yanez, who is Lationo, shot Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, a mostly white community of 5,000, is served primarily by the nearby St. Anthony Police Department.
Authorities say that during the traffic stop, Yanez (^right) approached Castile's car from the driver's side and another officer, Joseph Kauser (^ left), approached from the passenger side. Yanez opened fire, striking Castile multiple times. Yanez and Kauser, both four-year veterans, were put on administrative leave, as is standard, authorities said.
Diamond Reynolds, Castile's girlfriend who recorded and streamed the aftermath of the shooting from inside the car, said that "at the end of the day, it's their word against ours, and I just wanted the people to see that we didn't do this to ourselves."
When asked by a reporter yesterday, Reynolds responded that she doesn't think the way to answer incidents like Castile's death is through violence, saying that Castile would be hurt, sad and devastated over the deadly attack in Dallas the next night that killed five police officers.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said several videos, including squad car video, have been collected, though St. Anthony officers don't wear body cameras.
I hope the squad car video is valid and provides some more insight into what happened, though I doubt it captured any of the encounter at the car and the shooting itself.
Ref: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-po...-gun-race/