In a highly-anticipated decision that is sure to be heavily scrutinized, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi announced Wednesday that a St. Anthony Police officer will be criminally charged in the fatal shooting of Philando Castile.
On Wednesday Choi's office charged St. Anthony Police officer Jeronimo Yanez with second degree manslaughter, and multiple counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm. He said that under Minnesota law as written the deadly use of force is not justified. Choi also explained that after much deliberation it became clear to him that he must make the charging decision, and not refer the case to a grand jury.
"My conscience tells me it would be wrong to ask a grand jury make this decision when I know in my heart what must be done," Choi explained.
Prosecutors have been weighing potential charges against Yanez since receiving results of an in-depth investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) on September 28. Choi also enlisted the help of a special prosecutor, veteran civil rights attorney Don Lewis, to help forge a decision on potential charges and whether to bring the case to a grand jury.
Castile was fatally shot during a traffic stop the night of July 6 in Falcon Heights. His girlfriend Diamond Reynolds insists the officer shot Castile as he reached for an ID despite the fact Castile informed Yanez he had a gun and a permit to carry it. The officer's attorney has said the officer was simply reacting to seeing a gun.
Reynolds streamed the graphic aftermath of the shooting live on Facebook, which brought the incident into the national spotlight. The YouTube clip of the incident has been viewed millions of times. The shooting triggered a series of emotionally charged protests, including one that shut down Interstate 94 and injured a law enforcement officer. Protestors camped out for weeks in front of the Governor's mansion on Summit Avenue, shutting down the historic street a number of times.
Choi's announcement comes a day after the one-year anniversary of another high-profile police killing in Minnesota. Jamar Clark was killed in Minneapolis last year. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman decided no charges would be filed in that case, opting to make the decision himself instead of handing the case to a grand jury.
