** (Disclaimer: Video posted strictly for educational and information purposes only) **\r
Officials in Ramsey County, Minnesota, released video on Tuesday that shows the interion Castile had with St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez before Castile was shot to death during a traffic stop in July. In the video, Yanez tells Castile that hes being pulled over because he has a brake light out. (Audio later used as evidence in the case against Yanez ― and also released Tuesday ― shows the officer ually thought Castile and his girlfriend “just look like people that were involved in a robbery.”) “Sir, I have to tell you, I do have a firearm on me,” Castile says in the graphic video, embedded below. “OK, dont reach for it then,” Yanez says. “Dont pull it out.” Castile appears to say that hes not pulling out the gun, and then Yanez shoots him. Yanez can be heard screaming profanities and sobbing after the shooting. He keeps his gun pointed at a dying Castile as he calls for backup and waits for other officers to arrive.\r
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Later in the video, when Yanez is interviewed by another officer, he admits that he didnt ually see Castile grab for a gun. He notes, however, that he was nervous after he asked to see Castiles license, and Castile “had his grip a lot wider than a wallet.” Yanez says: “I didnt know where the gun was, he didnt tell me where the fuckin gun was, and then it was just gettin hanky. He was just staring straight ahead, and I was gettin fuckin nervous and then … I told him to get his fuckin hand off his gun … Fuck.” Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her 4-year-old daughter were in the car at the time. Reynolds live-streamed the aftermath of the shooting, which brought worldwide attention to the case. A jury on Friday found Yanez not guilty on a charge of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of reckless discharge of a firearm. \r
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Tuesdays video release quickly drew more attention to the acquittal, which prompted thousands of protesters to March through Saint Paul over the weekend. “Its just like, a punch in my stomach, its a punch in the gut,” Castiles friend, John Thompson, told HuffPost Tuesday. “Look what happened to Philando for doing all the right things. It hurts. Every time I talk about it, it hurts. “Im so tired of being tired, Im so tired of being sad, Im so tired of being angry at this system.” Yanez was fired from the police force after the acquittal. “The City of St. Anthony has concluded that the public will be best served if Officer Yanez is no longer a police officer in our city,” the city said on its website Friday. “The city intends to offer Officer Yanez a voluntary separation agreement to help him transition to another career other than being a St. Anthony officer.”\r
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