Posted on 06/16/2017 1:50:59 PM PDT by ColdOne
A Minnesota police officer who was charged with manslaughter after he shot a black motorist five times during a traffic stop last year was found not guilty by a jury on Friday, according to multiple reports.
Defense attorneys said Jeronimo Yanez, the 29-year-old Latino police officer, was scared for his life when he shot Philando Castile, 32, seconds after Castile informed the officer he was armed.
Prosecutors insisted Yanez never saw the gun and had plenty of options other than shooting Castile, who was an elementary school cafeteria worker.
The officer was also acquitted of two counts of firing a weapon that endangers safety, according to CNN, which reported that several members of Castile's family screamed profanities and cried Friday after the verdicts were announced.
ADVERTISEMENT Castile's death went viral after his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, live streamed the immediate aftermath of the shooting on Facebook, seconds after Castile was shot by the officer.
Video captured from Yanez's squad car showed Yanez approaching Castile's car and Castile's voice warning the officer, "Sir, I have to tell you, I do have a firearm on me." Before Castile can even finish the sentence, Yanez begins shouting. There is an exchange of words, before Yanez yells, "Don't pull it out!" and shoots Castile five times.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Better to be judged by 12...
Would be head’s up in the MN area.
Gee, what’s the score now . . .
Let’s see . . . Justice 30, BLM 0
Shocked. Seriously.
Let the “peaceful protests” begin!
Let the riots begin. Get outta town if you can.
When do the riots begin?
So if you’re carrying concealed, just STFU.
Is BLM rioting in St.Paul yet.... marching... blocking roads...raiding liquor stores.
Well...time to break the windows out of all the stores. That’s the BLM way.
So does BLM riot in the Somali part of the Twin Cities?
I believe the Skinnies are chewing their khat now...
Most prominently..., his option was to await a bullet from a drug-addled armed man! I think the juries should be subjected to a highly realistic re-enactment training course to educate them on just what a Cop faces!
Interesting question. We might just see.
This cop has no business with a badge.
Paging Rev. Al.
Actually if you’re carrying concealed you take out the card and hand it to the officer along with your driver’s license and then put both hands on the top of the steering wheel and wait for instructions.
“So if you’re carrying concealed, just STFU.”
Agreed.
Hate to say but Minneapolis just made the case that every CCW holder has reason to fear for their life in every encounter with law enforcement.
That’s not going to end well.
Reynolds says in the video that Castile never reached for his gun, but defense attorneys targeted inconsistencies in her story to cast doubt on her credibility.
...
IIRC, she seemed very calm in the immediate aftermath.
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