Philando Castile Shooting: Minnesota Officer Found Not Guilty

ST. PAUL, MN — St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez has been found not guilty on all charges relating to the fatal shooting of Philando Castile during a traffic stop last summer, according to multiple reports.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the jury deliberated for 27 hours over a span of five days before reaching its verdict Friday. Yanez will return to active duty before St. Anthony officials negotiate the terms of a voluntary separation agreement for him. In a brief statement, officials said the agreement would be negotiated in the near future.

"The City of St. Anthony has concluded that the public will be best served if Officer Yanez is no longer a police officer in our city," the statement said. "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."

Many expressed outrage at Yanez's acquittal, which comes shortly after Oklahoma Officer Betty Shelby was found not guilty in the fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher. The Department of Justice also did not pursue charges in the shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, which took place just a day before Castile's killing.

"We are profoundly disappointed by the jury's verdict, which once again highlights how difficult it is to prosecute an officer for killing a person they were sworn to protect and serve," Sherrilyn Ifill, the president of NAACP's legal defense fund, said in a statement. "Officer Yanez joins a long and still growing list of police officers who have killed people of color with impunity."

Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, who also serves as Deputy Chair of the DNC, said today was an extremely painful day for the community.

"Today, my heart is with the family of Philando Castile. Our community must keep fighting in honor of Philando to make sure a tragedy like this never happens again," Ellison said in a statement. "The movement for justice will continue to march ahead."

Yanez was charged in November with second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Castile. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi also brought numerous firearms charges against Yanez, who killed Castile during a traffic stop in the suburb of Falcon Heights on July 6. The shooting’s aftermath was streamed on Facebook Live by Castile's girlfriend, who was sitting in the front seat of his car.

In bringing the charges, Choi said that under Minnesota law, Castile's killing was not justified.

Castile, 32, was stopped for a broken taillight and mentioned to Yanez that he had a permit for a concealed weapon. He was reaching into his pocket in response to Yanez's request for his license, according to his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds. Yanez then opened fire, Reynolds said.

His girlfriend's 4-year-old daughter was sitting in the backseat during the shooting. The minutes following Castile's death were seen by hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Reynolds issued a statement in response to the verdict, saying she was incredibly disappointed.

"It is a sad state of affairs when this type of criminal conduct is condoned simply because Yanez is a policeman," Reynolds said. "God help America."

Castile worked as school cafeteria worker in the Saint Paul public school system.

"The Saint Paul Public Schools community continues to remember and mourn the loss of 'Mr. Phil,' a beloved SPPS employee," the school district said in a statement.

William Bornhoft contributed to this report.

Photo: William Bornhoft/Patch.com