Overview

The Death of Philando Castile refers to the fatal shooting of 32 year old Philando Castile, who was killed by an officer after being pulled over for a broken tail light in July 2016. The shooting took place in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. The incident was live streamed by Castile's girlfriend on Facebook.

Background

On July 6th, 2016, Castile was pulled over in a routine by an officer who has been identified as Jeronimo Yanez. When Castile informed Yanez that he was had a firearm and a license to carry, when he reached for his ID, Yanez opened fire on Castile. A video showing what happened after the shooting took place was uploaded onto Facebook. It shows Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds asking the officer why he shot Castile. The video was widely viewed on Facebook before being removed, only to be re-uploaded and hour later.

Developments

Protests

Castile's death and the Death of Alton Sterling who died only a day earlier has sparked outrage across the country, leading to multiple protests and demonstrations, most notably by the Black Lives Matter Movement

Online Reaction

Investigations

External Refrences

^[1] Heavy – Philando Castile: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

^[2] Startribune – What we know about Philando Castile

^[3] The New York Times – After Philando Castile’s Killing, Obama Calls Police Shootings ‘an American Issue’

^[4] The New York Times – Details Emerge of Philando Castile Shooting, and Minnesota Protests Carry Into Morning

^[5] The Washington Post – Minn. governor says race played role in fatal police shooting during traffic stop

^[6] BBC – Philando Castile death: Aftermath of police shooting streamed live