Trial Begins In Philando Castile Case

THE MINNESOTA POLICE OFFICER WHO SHOT AND KILLED
PHILANDO CASTILLE HAS BEEN CHARGED, AND HE WILL GO TO
TRIAL.
HE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH 2ND∞
MURDER, AND A COUPLE OF OTHER LESSER CHARGES.
HIS NAME IS JERONIMO, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO FORGOT ABOUT
THE SITUATION, CASTILE WAS KILLED ON JULY 6 DURING A STOP
IN THE ST.
PAUL SUBURB OF FALCON HEIGHTS.
THE GRUESOME AFTERMATH WAS THREE LIVE ON FACEBOOK BY HIS
GIRLFRIEND, WHO WAS IN THE CAR.
WE ARE GOING TO BRING BACK THE VIDEO FOR YOU GUYS, EITHER TO
REFRESH YOUR MEMORY OR LET YOU GUYS KNOW EXACT WHAT WENT DOWN,
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MIGHT HAVE MISSED THE STORY WHEN IT WAS
MADE HEADLINES LAST YEAR, BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT PHILANDO
CASTILLE, THE BLACK PASSENGER IN THE CAR, WAS A LICENSED GUN
OWNER, IN FACT HE HAD A PERMIT TO CARRY, AND WHEN THE COP HAD
STOPPED THEM, HE TOLD THE POLICE OFFICER, I HAVE A WEAPON, GIVING
HIM A WARNING, AND IT DIDN'T MATTER, BECAUSE YANEZ
DECIDED TO SHOOT HIM ANYWAY.
HE SAID, LOOK, I'M LICENSED TO CARRY IT, I'M TELLING YOU
SO YOU DON'T PERCEIVE IT AS A THREAT, BASICALLY.
THAT'S WHAT HE WAS GIVING HIM A WARNING.
THERE IS APPARENTLY NEW VIDEO THAT WILL COME OUT IN TRIAL, AND
YOU CAN SEE THAT YANEZ KEEPS YELLING, LIKE DON'T PULL IT
OUT, AND HE'S YELLING, I'M NOT PULLING IT OUT, AND NEXT
THING YOU KNOW HE SHOT HIM SEVEN TIMES.
KEEP IN MIND THAT THE COUPLES CHILD WAS IN THE BACKSEAT
AS THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED.
WE ARE ABOUT TO SHOW YOU THE VIDEO, IT IS DIFFICULT TO WATCH,
IT IS GRAPHIC, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WANT TO SEE IT, HERE IT IS.
STAY WITH ME.
WE GOT PULLOVER ñ WE GOT PULLED OVER FOR A BUSTED TAILLIGHT IN
THE BACK, AND THE POLICE ñ HE'S COVERED, THEY JUST KILLED MY
BOYFRIEND.
HE'S LICENSED TO CARRY, HE WAS TRYING TO GET OUT HIS ID AND HIS
WALLET OUT OF HIS POCKET, AND HE LET THE OFFICER KNOW THAT HE WAS
ñ THAT HE HAD A FIREARM AND HE WAS REACHING FOR HIS WALLET, AND
THE OFFICER JUST SHOT HIM IN HIS ARM.
KEEP YOUR HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM.
I WILL, SIR.
FUCK!
HE JUST SHOT HIS ARM OFF.
WE GOT PULLED OVER.
I TOLD HER NOT TO REACH FOR IT!
HE HAD HIS ID SIR, HIS DRIVERS LICENSE.
OH MY GOD, PLEASE DON'T TELL ME HE'S DEAD.
PLEASE DON'T TELL ME MY BOYFRIEND JUST WENT LIKE THAT.
PLEASE KEEP YOUR HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM.
I WILL SIR, I WILL KEEP MY HANDS WHERE THEY ARE.
PLEASE DON'T TELL ME THAT HE'S GONE.
PLEASE DON'T TELL ME THAT HE'S GONE.
PLEASE OFFICER, DON'T TELL ME THAT YOU JUST DID THIS TO HIM.
YOU SHOT FOUR BULLETS INTO HIM, SIR.
HE WAS JUST GETTING HIS LICENSE AND REGISTRATION, SIR.
SHE GETS MORE UNDERSTANDABLY UPSET AS IT GOES ON, AS IT
DAWNED ON HER THAT HE IS REALLY GOING TO DIE, AND HE DID.
THE COP HAD TOLD HIM TO GET HIS WALLET, AND SO HE IS TRYING
TO GET HIS WALLET, AND THE COP KEEPS YELLING AT HIM.
TO GET HIS ID SPECIFICALLY.
HE SAYS DON'T PULL IT OUT, AND THE LAST WORDS OF CASTILLE,
AFTER HE GETS SHOT ñ WHICH APPARENTLY IS GOING TO COME FROM
THE NEW VIDEO, WHICH WILL BE SHOWN IN TRIAL, FROM THE
OFFICER'S DASHCAM ñ THE LAST WORDS WERE, I WASN'T REACHING
FOR IT.
BECAUSE DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON'T.
IF YOU DON'T TELL THEM YOU HAVE A LICENSED WEAPON, YOU ARE IN A
WORLD OF TROUBLE AND YOU CAN GET SHOT, IF YOU DO TELL THEM YOU
HAVE A LICENSE WHEN YOU GET SHOT ANYWAY.
AND CASTILLE HAD BEEN PULLED OVER DOZENS OF TIMES
BEFORE, NOT FOR LEGITIMATE THINGS, NOPE, TAILLIGHT,
THIS THAT AND THE NEXT THING, CONSTANTLY ARRESTED.
HE WAS A WORKER AT A LOCAL SCHOOL, AT THE CAFETERIA FOR ñ
HE'S 32 YEARS OLD, BEEN THERE FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND
YEARS, CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHTÖ WHAT YOU DO, YOU GET SHOT.
YOU CAN'T START EVEN IF YOU OWN A FIREARM IN A LEGAL WAY.
BY THE WAY, I DON'T KNOW, I COULD BE WRONG BUT I DON'T
REMEMBER THE NRA COMING OUT AND SPEAKING OUT AGAINST WHAT
HAPPENED TO PHILANDO CASTILLE - WHO LEGALLY HAD A WEAPON AND
WARNED THE COP AHEAD OF TIME.
IF THE NRA WAS A LEGITIMATE ORGANIZATION TO PROTECT
GUNOWNERS, THEY WOULD HAVE LOST IT OVER PHILANDO CASTILLE.
HE WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE POSTER BOY FOR BIG GOVERNMENT,
GOVERNMENT OVERREACH, AND LOOK WHAT THEY DID TO AN
AMERICAN, WHO WAS LICENSED TO OWN A GUN, AND WARNED THE
COP, EXACTLY AS HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO BY LAW.
NRA, WHERE ARE YOU?
NOT RAISING MUCH OF A STINK OVER THIS, INTERESTING.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT OF THE TRIAL, AND HOW THINGS ARE
EXPECTED TO PLAY OUT.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, YANEZ, WHO IS LATINO, IS CHARGED
WITH SECOND-DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER, PUNISHABLE BY UP TO 10
YEARS IN PRISON.
HE'S ALSO CHARGED WITH TWO LESSER COUNTS OF ENDANGERING
SAFETY BY FIRING HIS GUN NEAR CASTILLE'S GIRLFRIEND, DIAMOND
REYNOLDS, AND HER DAUGHTER.
IN ORDER FOR PROSECUTORS TO PROVE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS CASE,
THEY HAVE TO SHOW HE ACTED WITH CULPABLE NEGLIGENCE, THAT HE WAS
RECKLESS AND ACTED UNREASONABLY OR THE SITUATION.
BUT OFFENSE IS PLANNING ON BRINGING UP PHILANDO CASTILLE'S
BLOOD TESTS, AND HOW THEY INDICATED THAT HE HAD TRACES OF
MARIJUANA, SO THEY WERE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE IT SEEM AS IF HE WAS
STONED DURING THIS ENCOUNTER, WHICH IS WHY THE COP'S LIFE WAS
IN DANGER.
ALSO, KEEP IN MIND, JUST LOOK AT THE STATISTICS OVERALL AND
THE BROADER PICTURE, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2005, 81 OFFICERS
NATIONWIDE HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH MURDER OR MANSLAUGHTER.
ONLY 81, SINCE 2005.
A LITTLE MORE THAN A THIRD WERE CONVICTED
ñ 15 BY JERRY AND 14 BY GUILTY PLEA.
SO IT IS VERY RARE FOR A COP TO BE CHARGED, AND ONCE HE IS
ACTUALLY CHARGED, TO BE CONVICTED FOR THE CHARGES
AGAINST HIM, AND THAT'S PARTIALLY BECAUSE THE JURY IS
USUALLY UNCOMFORTABLE FINDING A COP GUILTY WHEN HE OR SHE IS
THOUGHT OF AS SOMEONE WHO US TO MAKE A FOOT SECOND DECISION.
YEAH, ALMOST ALWAYS THEY USE THE DEFENSE THAT THEY HAD NO CHOICE
BUT TO DO WHAT THEY DID.
YOU SAW THE TAPE, IT APPEARED THAT HE HAD 20 OF CHOICE.
THERE WAS 1000 THINGS HE COULD HAVE DONE.
HE COULD HAVE SAID GET OUT OF THE CAR, NOT PANICS, NOT
SHOT INTO THAT CAR.
IF A GUY SAYS I HAVE A LICENSED WEAPON, HE IS TRYING TO GIVE
YOU A HEADS UP, LET'S NOT HAVING THIS COMMITTEE CASE IN HERE.
THAT SHOULD ñ LET'S NOT HAVE A MISCOMMUNICATION HERE.
THAT SHOULD CUE YOU FOR ALL THE DECISIONS AND CHOICES YOU
COULD HAVE, BUT OFTEN THEY SAY THEY HAD NO CHOICE.
NOW, HE DOESN'T KNOW PHILANDO CASTILLE, HE HAS NO
RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, AND YES IT WAS A HORRENDOUS RISK
MITIGATION, BUT YOU CANNOT MISS COMMUNICATE AND KILL
SOMEONE LIKE THAT, THAT IS SECOND-DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER.
IT WAS RECKLESS, AND ACTING UNREASONABLY IN THAT SITUATION.
I JUST FEEL LIKE ñ LOOK, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY YOU LOOK AT A
SITUATION LIKE THAT, AND YOU CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE
DONE, AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD REACT PERSONALLY TO A
SITUATION LIKE THAT, BUT I FEEL LIKE IF I WERE A COP, AND I
GENUINELY FELT THREATENED BECAUSE THIS GUY ñ LEGALLY
ñ HAS A GUN, I WOULD ASK HIM, WHERE IS THE GUN?
AND I WOULD TAKE AWAY THE GUN.
RIGHT?
IF I GENUINELY THINK HE SERVES A THREAT, I WOULD SAY, HEY GIVE
ME YOUR ID, AND THEN PROCEED TO SHOOT HIM BECAUSE I THINK
YOU MAY BE REACHING FOR HIS GUN, THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
IT IS SUCH A DEVASTATING STORY, AND WE HAVE DONE SO MANY OF
THESE STORIES IN THE PAST, AND FOR SOME REASON THAT ONE GETS TO
BE THE MOST, BECAUSE OF THE WAY HIS GIRLFRIEND IS REACTING TO
IT, BECAUSE SHE IS FORCED TO REMAIN,, BECAUSE SHE KNOWS ANY
SUDDEN MOVEMENT COULD THREATEN HER OWN LIFE ñ
AND HER DAUGHTER'S --
AND HER DAUGHTER'S.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, HER BOYFRIEND IS DYING NEXT TO HER.
YOURSELF IN THOSE SHOES.
AND IF YOU WENT TO EVEN COMFORT HIM, IT COULD BE PERCEIVED
AS REACHING FOR THE WEAPON.
I COULDN'T HANDLE A SITUATION LIKE THAT.
THE THING THAT DRIVES ME CRAZY ABOUT THIS CASE IS, DAMNED
IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON'T.
YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT HAVING NO CHOICES?
PHILANDO CASTILLE HAD NO CHOICE.
HE KEPT GETTING PULLED OVER FOR MINOR INFRACTIONS, AND
OFTEN TIMES THEY COULDN'T EVEN CHARGE HIM BECAUSE THEY
JUST PULLED HIM OVER BECAUSE HE WAS BLACK.
AND ñ I KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL WHO ARE IN DENIAL, THIS IS JUST
A COINCIDENCE, THEY JUST HAPPENS TO PULL THEM OVER DOZENS OF
TIMES AND NOT GIVE HIM ANY PENALTY AT ALL BECAUSE THEY HAD
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ON HIM, BUT IF YOU KEEP PULLING OVER BLACK
PEOPLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHEN THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG ñ
HE IS JUST A CAFETERIA WORKER, EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY
BELCHES FOR HIM.
WELL, IF YOU KEEP PULLING THEM OVER ALL THE TIME, AT SOME
POINT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A SITUATION LIKE THIS.
WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF COMMON DECENCY TOWARDS ONE
ANOTHER AND THIS IS NOT HOW YOU DO IT.
MY GOD, IF YOU WERE WORRIED ABOUT ANYONE WHO COULD HAVE A
GUN AND THE COPS COULD JUST SHOOT AND KILL THEM ON THE SPOT,
YOU COULD KILL A GIANT PERCENTAGE OF THE COUNTRY.
YEAH.
THERE ARE 250 MILLION GUNS IN THE COUNTRY.
BUT OBVIOUS THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT STANDARDS FOR
DIFFERENT FOLKS, AND IF YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE IN A
DIFFERENT SITUATION AND YOU'VE GOT A WEAPON, WELL THEN,
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE AN UPSTANDING AMERICAN CITIZEN EXERCISING
YOUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
IF YOU ARE PHILANDO CASTILLE, YOU ARE DEAD IN YOUR OWN CAR.
AND LAST THING IS, IF YOU WATCH THE REST OF THE VIDEO, THEY
LET HIM BLEED OUT.
HE KEEPS POINTING THE WEAPON, DON'T GET HIM HELP FOR SO LONG.
IF HE HAD JUST RUSHED, AT THAT POINT, TO GO GET HELP, MAYBE
THEY COULD HAVE SAVED HIS LIFE, BUT THEY LET HIM BLEED OUT.
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, THERE'S NO RESPECT
FOR HUMAN LIFE ANYMORE.
SO, IS THAT SECOND-DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER?
WELL, THE COURT AND THE JURY WILL HAVE TO DECIDE, BUT TO
THE NAKED EYE THAT'S WHAT IT CERTAINLY APPEARS
TO BE.

Trial Begins In Philando Castile Case

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