Today, a jury found police officer Jeronimo Yanez’s decision to shoot Philando Castile reasonable during a fateful traffic stop last summer.
The verdict of not guilty was reached by a jury regarding the manslaughter charges along with the two counts of dangerous discharge of firearm, Friday.
Twin Cities Pioneer Press reports:
A jury has found St. Anthony Police officer Jeromino Yanez was reasonable in his decision to shoot and kill Philando Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights last summer.
It was delivered in a Ramsey County District Court courtroom packed with family members and friends of both Yanez and Castile.
Jurors received the case Monday afternoon after attorneys for the prosecution and defense finished their closing arguments.
Yanez was the first police officer in modern Minnesota history to be charged in an on-duty shooting. Yanez fired seven bullets into Castile’s car shortly after the 32-year-old black man told him he was carrying a firearm. Yanez said Castile was reaching for the gun and didn’t listen to his instructions to stop.
Castile had a license to carry a gun, but he hadn’t told the officer that before the shooting took place.
Yanez, who is Latino, was also found not guilty of dangerous discharge of his weapon.
