Philando Castile Shooting (2016)
The Philando Castile shooting occurred on July 6, 2016, in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, when Castile was pulled over by police during a traffic stop. He was accompanied by his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her young daughter. During the stop, Castile informed Officer Jeronimo Yanez that he was legally carrying a firearm, but moments later, Yanez drew his weapon and shot Castile multiple times, resulting in his death. Reynolds captured the aftermath of the incident on her cell phone, live-streaming it on social media, which contributed to a national outcry and protests regarding police violence and systemic racism against African Americans.
Following the shooting, public demonstrations erupted in St. Paul, with protests escalating into violence on July 9, leading to numerous arrests and injuries among police. Yanez faced criminal charges, including second-degree manslaughter, yet maintained a plea of not guilty. Castile, remembered for his positive impact as a school nutrition supervisor and role model, had experienced a troubling history of frequent police stops, which his family highlighted as indicative of racial bias within law enforcement. The incident, along with the simultaneous death of Alton Sterling in Louisiana, intensified discussions around police practices and racial equity in the United States.
Subject Terms
Philando Castile Shooting (2016)
Date: July 6, 2016
Place: Falcon Heights, Minnesota
Summary
Philando Castile was driving home from grocery shopping with his girlfriend and her four-year-old daughter on the night of July 6, 2016, when he was pulled over by police in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Castile informed Officer Jeronimo Yanez that he was licensed to carry a firearm and that there was a handgun in the car. Yanez drew his weapon and fatally shot Castile, whose girlfriend filmed the immediate aftermath of the incident on her cell phone and live-streamed it on social media. The video sparked national outrage, causing protests and intensifying the debate in the United States concerning the use of deadly force and the systemic racism toward African Americans in the criminal justice system.
Key Events
- July 6, 2016—Castile is shot and killed by Officer Yanez in the course of a traffic stop.
- July 9, 2016—Protests in St. Paul in the aftermath of the shooting turn violent. Over one hundred people are arrested and several police officers are injured.
- September 28, 2016—Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension completes its investigation into Castile’s death. The findings are turned over to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.
- November 16, 2016—The county attorney’s office charges Yanez with second-degree manslaughter.
Status
On November 16, 2016, Ramsey County attorney John Choi charged Officer Jeronimo Yanez with one count of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm. Yanez remained on administrative leave from his position, as is usual following police-involved shootings. He appeared at a court hearing on November 18 and pleaded not guilty to the charges before being released without bail to await his next court appearance.
In-Depth Overview
While driving home from a grocery store on the evening of July 6, 2016, thirty-two-year-old Philando Castile was pulled over by police officers Jeronimo Yanez and Joseph Kauser in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul. The officer radioed in to say that he was pulling Castile over because he believed the man matched the description of a robbery suspect. In the car with Castile at the time were his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her four-year-old daughter.
According to Reynolds, Yanez approached the vehicle and asked Castile for his license and registration. Castile informed Yanez that he was licensed to carry a handgun and that he had one inside the vehicle; he also began reaching for his license and registration. According to the criminal complaint filed against Yanez, he said to Castile, "Okay, don’t reach for it," and "Don’t pull it out," and Castile responded, "I’m not pulling it out." Yanez then screamed, "Don’t pull it out," and drew his own gun and shot Castile seven times. After Castile was shot, Reynolds used her cell phone to stream live video from inside the car, via the social media website Facebook. In the video, Castile can be seen slumped over with blood on his side. Yanez is visible in the video with his gun still drawn. After several minutes, another officer ordered Reynolds out of the car and onto the ground, where she was handcuffed. Her cell phone continued to stream video and Yanez can be heard in the video repeatedly screaming expletives. Reynolds told the media that officers did not give Castile any medical attention and instead consoled Yanez, who was distressed over the shooting. Castile was pronounced dead at a nearby emergency room and his death was ruled a homicide.
Castile worked as the nutrition services supervisor at J. J. Hill Montessori Magnet School in St. Paul. He was well liked at the school and his supervisor stated that he memorized the names of the five hundred students he served every day. Colleagues and parents of children at the school told media that Castile served as a role model for the students and that he transformed the cafeteria into a positive space for students. Before his death, he had been pulled over fifty-two times for minor traffic violations. His family stated that this number is clear evidence of systemic racism against African Americans.
Reynolds’ video was viewed over two millions times and was covered extensively by the media. The shooting came only a day after another highly publicized death of an African American male, Alton Sterling, who was fatally shot by police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Both men’s deaths at the hands of police sparked national protests and intensified the debates concerning the use of deadly force and systemic racism against African Americans by law enforcement. The days after Castile’s death saw peaceful protests in St. Paul and its surrounding neighborhoods. On July 7, 2016, a peaceful protest in Dallas, Texas, turned violent when Micah Xavier Johnson ambushed police officers with an assault rifle, killing five and wounding nine others.
Protests in St. Paul turned violent on July 9 when demonstrators shut down Interstate 94 and threw rocks, bottles, and Molotov cocktails at police officers, who dispersed the crowd using tear gas and pepper spay. Over one hundred protestors were arrested and over twenty officers were injured during the incident. Protestors also demonstrated outside of Minnesota governor Mark Dayton’s home, demanding that he make a statement and see that justice is done for Castile’s family. Many people from St. Paul and Minneapolis teachers’ associations took part in protests to show their solidarity with Castile and his family.
Key Figures
Joseph Kauser: Other police officer who was on the scene when Yanez fatally shot Castile.
Diamond Reynolds: Girlfriend of Castile who live-streamed his final minutes of life onto social media. Her video helped spark nationwide protests.
Jeronimo Yanez: Police officer who shot and killed Castile.
Bibliography
Capecchi, C., & Smith, M. (2016, November 16). Officer who shot Philando Castile is charged with manslaughter. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/17/us/philando-castile-shooting-minnesota.html
Chan, M. (2016, July 7). Philando Castile was a role model to hundreds of kids, colleagues say. Time. Retrieved from http://time.com/4397086/minnesota-shooting-philando-castile-role-model-school/
Shapiro, T. R., et al. (2016, July 8). Fatal police shooting in Minnesota sparks protests across country. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/fatal-police-shooting-in-minn-brings-calls-for-justice/2016/07/07/20d029e8-4476-11e6-88d0-6adee48be8bc‗story.html
Smith, M. (2016, July 12). Philando Castile’s last night: Tacos and laughs, then a drive. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/us/philando-castile-minnesota-police-shooting.html
Walsh, P. (2016, July 10). Anger, dismay and nation’s attention after violent I-94 shutdown. Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.startribune.com/about-100-arrested-in-st-paul-protests/386197981/
Yuen, L., & Feshir, R. (2016, September 28). Philando Castile police shooting probe complete, sent to prosecutors. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved from http://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/09/28/philando-castile-investigation-done-prosecutor-review