Officer who shot Philando Castile found not guilty

[Calista241]

Source: CNN

Jeronimo Yanez, the Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop last year, was found not guilty of second-degree manslaughter Friday.

He also was acquitted of two counts of intentional discharge of firearm that endangers safety.

A Minnesota jury has reached a verdict in the manslaughter trial of Jeronimo Yanez, the officer who fatally shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop last year.

Yanez is on trial for one count of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of intentional discharge of firearm that endangers safety because Castile's girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter were also in the car.


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/us/philando-castile-trial-verdict/index.html

[MrScorpio]

1. Was there any doubt that it's still open season on black people by the police in America? nt

[atreides1]

2. He was afraid!!!

Law enforcement agencies need to quit hiring yellow backed cowards who tremble in fear every time they see a black person!!!

[FiveGoodMen]

3. There is no justice

Especially not when cops are involved.

[ADX]

4. Same shit, different case...

...apparently, black lives really don't matter to some people.

[denvine]

5. Unbelievable and very disturbing!

[NeoConsSuck]

6. Every time a jury returns a verdict like this

they are sending a message to every police department in America that it is still OK to kill any black person without fear of retribution.

[lostnfound]

7. All the Second Amendment people will come protest this case, right?

No? I don't understand....

On edit... the 2nd amendment people on DU probably WOULD protest this. No offense, am not accusing liberal gun owners of bigotry, but I don't expect the NRA as a whole to make a peep.

[heaven05]

8. to the pigs in blue

this is justice, for AA this is just another day LWB.......Jeronimo....you are a murderer....period, no better than zimmerman the pig, wilson the pig and many many more PIGS in blue and not.......

[Cryptoad]

9. The Coup is Complete,,,,,,

ONly the Rich ever have a chance of obtaining Justice now!

[qanda]

10. And there aren't enough people to care enough to get this on the home page

Black lives don't really matter! We help get Democrats elected, but that's about it. 😢

[NutmegYankee]

15. A lot of people don't REC bad news threads

It's seen as an endorsement of the event. I REC'd it to get visibility, but normally I don't REC threads that I dislike the subject of. And I really hate this subject. Total injustice!

[qanda]

16. Okay. Then the few comments that it received tell its own story.

It's typical. I've been at DU long enough to know the indifference.

[gabeana]

22. I know what you mean

I posted something about and a link and there was only one response so far,
unfortunately killer cops getting off scot free is the norm it is sickening

[SamKnause]

18. This 64 year old white woman cares !!!!

I am fucking sick of this evil shit happening over and over !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have zero confidence in our 'justice' system !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The police are nothing more than armed executioners.

[qanda]

21. Thank you

I do appreciate hearing this. I'm so angry and frustrated today. My heart is broken. I think about my son who just turned 21 last week and he's meek and mild, like Philando. I fear so much for him.

[SamKnause]

23. You are most welcome.

Please give you son a kiss and hug for me.

Let him know that millions of people care about him and we are sick

of the police murdering people with zero consequences.

[Bettie]

24. 50 year old white woman

here and I care too.

There was a time when I believed cops were trying to help people. Now? Not so much.

Yeah, there are good ones, but far too many are just waiting for their moment to kill someone.

[SamKnause]

25. I agree.

[JustAnotherGen]

32. It's no use

There are quite a few of us who care - but too much water "over" the bridge at DU. We know this isn't a place to discuss such things. We just get accused of engaging in identity politics - so we take it off DU. Thank you - for caring.

[moda253]

11. Oh hell my town is going to burn.

This is going to be one heck of an ugly weekend.... Not that it shouldn't be. Hoping that nobody else is hurt. But I know this is going to be tumultuous.

Going to join the protests this weekend.

[NutmegYankee]

12. With such lawlessness (yes, lawlessness) I'm surprised we haven't moved back to blood feuds. Nt

[rogue emissary]

13. Interesting that police are the only ones that get to use "I was afraid" and get away with murder.

[sarisataka]

14. It is hard to see

what could have been a more open and shut case

[SamKnause]

17. With Liberty and Justice For All.......

Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.....

What a fucking cruel joke !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fucking cowards.

This amounts to a license to kill.

Armed executioners.

Do parents still teach their children to respect and trust the police ???

I guess there will be the usual call for unity and understanding.

SICKENING !!!!!!!!!

[Lotusflower70]

19. The jury

Only deliberated for 30 hours over the course of 5 days. Apparently they believed Yanez when he said he was in fear for his life. Of course officers are going to have fear but he was up against a guy strapped into his seat while he stood over him. The power was with Yanez. And the 7 shots took 74 seconds. I don't see how the jury came to their conclusion.

[furtheradu]

20. Sad beyond words. SO sick of these murders.

SO sick of NO JUSTICE.
WE ALL SAW THE VIDEO. I can't believe this. Again.
All I can do right now is remember these murdered victims & all who love them.
Then what can I do?
Please, some one tell me how to stop this.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. Very surprising and disappointing. If there was ever a police shooting case

that I expected to result in a conviction it was that one. Yanez' lawyer, Earl Gray, is one of the best criminal defense lawyers in Minnesota (if I ever got in serious trouble I'd hire him if I could afford him - and who paid his fee?). I wonder what it was in his presentation of the case that was enough to overcome the impact of that video? I'm sad to think that there could have enough underlying racism in the jurors' minds to influence their decision. I grew up only a few blocks from where the shooting occurred - it was very white when I was a kid and maybe it still is. I expect protests and hope they will be peaceful, but I don't blame people for being angry.

[Alpeduez21]

27. and people say we don't live in a police state

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

28. OK, so clearly we have many fucked police officers in this country. But who the fuck are the

people in these juries?

[Behind the Aegis]

29. BULLSHIT!

This is complete and total BULLSHIT!

Seriously?!?!

Is it ANY fucking wonder how we ended up with the current "president", when people can't even get something THIS goddamned easy correct!?



WRONG! JUST WRONG!

[Dawson Leery]

30. As with Child Molesters, Jeronimo Yanez has given nothing to this world

but pain and sorrow.

[yallerdawg]

31. Outrageous verdict.

A woman and a child in the car.

Outrageous.

[herding cats]

33. This was so wrong.

There was no excuse for this obvious case of manslaughter, yet they managed to excuse it.

[no_hypocrisy]

34. NRA silent on this matter.

A law-abiding U.S. citizen legally possessing and carrying a firearm. Dutifully pulls over for a police officer. Informs the police officer that he has a firearm in the car. Tells the police officer in a calm, modulated voice that he is going to get his documents which were requested by the same officer. Officer shoots him fatally, not once, not twice, not three times, not four times, not five times, not six times, but seven times while the gun owner is still strapped into his seat in the car and with an adult passenger in the front and a child in the back seat.

And the police officer claims he was afraid for his life.

Bullshit.