ST. PAUL, MN — Special Prosecutor John Choi from the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office has officially filed charges against Officer Jeronimo Yanez for the death of Philando Castile.
As Alpha News reported back in July, Philando Castile was shot by a St. Anthony police officer during a routine traffic stop.
The death of Castile propelled Minnesota into the national spotlight when his girlfriend filmed the entire incident on Facebook Live.
The death of Castile shown live on social media became a viral hit overnight as people around the country used the footage to explain the growing unrest between police officers and the black community.
Yanez will make his first court appearance Friday afternoon. Choi made the decision to forgo a grand jury, charging Yanez with second degree manslaughter.
Ultimately, Choi revealed that fear felt by Yanez was not enough to justify the use of deadly force.
The Star Tribune reports that Yanez is the first police officer to be charged in a police involved death since 2000.
Preya Samsundar
Preya Samsundar was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She graduated from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities this Spring with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, with a minor in Strategic Communications. Preya has previously worked on several State Campaign Races.
