Posted on 06/18/2017 5:27:54 AM PDT by Kaslin
All lives matter. As do Second Amendment rights.
Which is why the killing of 32-year-old Philando Castile last July was disturbing, and the acquittal of St. Anthony, Minnesota, police officer Jeronimo Yanez, this past Friday, so troubling.
Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who live-streamed the chilling aftermath of the shooting on her cell phone, assumed the traffic stop was for a broken tail-light. But Officer Yanez, four years on the force, stopped Castile believing he might be the perpetrator of a recent robbery. Castile was not; he was merely the same race (black), roughly the same age, and had the same hair-style (dreadlocks).
Of course, many men in the Twin Cities metro area fit those characteristics.
Much about the incident remains unclear and in dispute. What seems indisputable is this: Philando Castile told the Latino officer that he was carrying a gun, for which he had a concealed carry permit. That doesn’t sound like an admission someone would make if planning to whip out that pistol and start blasting away.
Also certain is the fact that Officer Yanez fired seven times into the automobile carrying Castile, Reynolds and Reynolds’ four-year-old daughter. Five bullets struck Castile, two in the heart. One bullet barely missed the toddler strapped into a car seat in the back. Castile later died at a local hospital.
The audio on the cellphone footage, which began after the shots were fired, has Yanez yelling: “I told him not to reach for it! I told him to get his hand out.”
All lives matter. As do Second Amendment rights.
Which is why the killing of 32-year-old Philando Castile last July was disturbing, and the acquittal of St. Anthony, Minnesota, police officer Jeronimo Yanez, this past Friday, so troubling.
Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who live-streamed the chilling aftermath of the shooting on her cell phone, assumed the traffic stop was for a broken tail-light. But Officer Yanez, four years on the force, stopped Castile believing he might be the perpetrator of a recent robbery. Castile was not; he was merely the same race (black), roughly the same age, and had the same hair-style (dreadlocks).
Of course, many men in the Twin Cities metro area fit those characteristics.
Much about the incident remains unclear and in dispute. What seems indisputable is this: Philando Castile told the Latino officer that he was carrying a gun, for which he had a concealed carry permit. That doesn’t sound like an admission someone would make if planning to whip out that pistol and start blasting away.
Also certain is the fact that Officer Yanez fired seven times into the automobile carrying Castile, Reynolds and Reynolds’ four-year-old daughter. Five bullets struck Castile, two in the heart. One bullet barely missed the toddler strapped into a car seat in the back. Castile later died at a local hospital.
The audio on the cellphone footage, which began after the shots were fired, has Yanez yelling: “I told him not to reach for it! I told him to get his hand out.”
Cops are like soldiers. They do a dangerous job, one that most of us won’t do. I don’t like to second guess them. It’s too easy for us Monday morning quarterbacks to say what he should have done. We have time to think it over, and no penalties if we are wrong.
It is not about race, but the shoot first mentality that yanez displayed
“Excuse me while I whip this out”
Tell me what the police should do? The guy had a damn pistol. You want him to shoot at the cop first? The so called conceal carry permit makes no damn sense (sounds like BS) with the arrest record.
A jury apparently did not agree with that. Or at least they did agree that the cops life was in danger. But that’s not relevant. You didn’t answer my question. If I guy in a car with a woman and child in it pulls a gun on you and you have the means to shoot back would you shoot or just let him shoot you?
I admit I haven’t all the information on this one, but it says he reached for the gun... he could’ve been reaching for a lot of things, like license and registration...
As for carry permit, the second amendment covers that
“You don’t reach for anything except the sky or roof of your vehicle with BOTH of your arms and hands when a cop says-HANDS UP.” He’ll tell you what to do. Officers DESERVE RESPECT/ US to OBEY.
Castile ignored this. The video footage shows that he died with his hand on a gun in his lap. Case closed.
Me too, I just don’t speed....
Any interaction with LE is a risk. I avoid risks.
No one deserves respect. It is earned.
Tell the cop all you’ve posted next time you are pulled over. Bye.
Are they against free speech too?
I have not been stopped while carrying. If I am, I plan on having my ccw card be on top of my drivers license and registration, and both hands visible when I hand the docs to the cop.
You sound like a liberal BLM backer.
nope. just a freedom loving american who believes in personal responsibility and self protection.
too many LEO think they are superior to the people they are supposed to serve, and it is a paradigm that needs to change. your bias shows that as long as you are part of the majority, you believe might makes right, but i have seen more misjudgements that decry for an overhaul in how policing is done.
good luck to you and your police state mentality.
IIRC, the first thing that the guy who was killed said was,”I have a gun” and then said I’ll show you my permit. Unfortunately, all the cop heard before he reacted was “I have a gun” as he reached for something. Personally, I think the cop did a manslaughter.
Moral of the story...hands firmly gripping the steering wheel at 10 and 2 until told otherwise.
At night have every possible light turned on inside the vehicle too.
You had best keep your hands in sight as opposed to reaching for wallet, CCW permit etc. These cops have it tough enough without you.
my local law enforcement know me and we respect each other.
i know best to behave myself, and apparently there is a problem that you inherently admit to.
be good and be careful.
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