Acquittal in Philando Castile Case

Philando Castile’s killer, police officer Jeromino Yanez, was acquitted of manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm on Friday. The case of Castile’s shooting last July in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota had sparked mass protests after his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds posted a dramatic and wrenching video of the shooting’s aftermath. The video, taken with Reynolds’ 4-year-old daughter in the car, included footage of Castile lying in a puddle of blood after he was struck five times from seven shots.

Later Friday, thousands of people gathered on the steps of the state Capitol in St. Paul, holding signs and banners and chanting in response to the not guilty verdict. After the hourlong rally, protesters took to the streets. Saint Paul Police escorted the crowd, which they estimated to be about 2,000 people.