Celebrations, vigil mark year since Philando Castile death
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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Family and friends of Philando Castile on Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of his fatal shooting during a routine traffic stop, organizing vigils and celebrations and pushing to name a new police training fund in his memory.
Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker, was shot to death by St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez last July 6, seconds after informing Yanez that he was carrying a gun. Castile had a gun permit. Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter last month after testifying that Castile ignored his commands not to pull out the gun.
It was the second high-profile fatal shooting of a black man by Minnesota police officers in less than a year and worsened a divide between law enforcement and the black community. It followed the November 2015 death of 24-year-old Jamar Clark, who was shot and killed by Minneapolis police officers after what onlookers described as a struggle. The officers involved in that shooting were not charged. Castile’s shooting drew immediate attention because his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, livestreamed the aftermath on Facebook. She was in the car with her then-4-year-old daughter.
Castile’s mother, uncle and other family members gathered with Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton at the Capitol Thursday as they encouraged the state’s police training board to name the recently created $12 million training fund after Castile. His family members sounded both sombre about his death and hopeful that such shootings can be prevented in the future.
