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Officer Yanez Found Not Guilty On All Counts In Castile’s Death

T

The Fatal Englishman

Member
From what I've read about this, it seems like the prosecution flubbed this one pretty badly.

It appears as if they attempted to introduce a key piece of video testimony that contradicted Yanez' account on the stand, without entering said evidence into discovery first. Presumably, the intent was to setup a 'gotcha' situation wherein Yanez would be forced to take the stand in his defence and the prosecution would thereafter introduce evidence for impeachment in the cross-examination.

The Judge, probably correctly, said 'no es bueno' and disallowed the testimony.
 
O

Omegabalmung9

Member
antonz said:
Yep the entire system needs to be torn down and rebuilt. Police training also needs to stop focusing on putting the fear of death in every encounter as well. Tragic events happen in the line of Duty but the system trains Police to be scared children with the power to end lives out of fear even if the fear isn't justified.

Throw in the fact such power then lures in the Bigots etc. and its a recipe for disaster especially when overall society refuses to acknowledge the problems
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I remember my sister telling me that one time she got into a car accident, she went to ask the police officer if there is anything else she has to do. The officer turned to her and said if she didnt back away and sit on the ground, he was gonna kick her ass.

My sister later reported the officer to the department. The officer actually dropped by my sisters apartment tried to apologize and said that he was sorry and was having a bad week.
 
C

CazTGG

Member
R0ckman said:
One thing I don't get, if its a few "bad apples" why the hell aren't a majority of the police fighting to fix their own system?
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Because police culture is toxic and these officers contribute to said culture by perpetuating the notion that "it's us versus them, the public is against us" when it's "the public wants some accountability when an innocent man is shot by a shoot first, ask questions later racist who really needs to listen to more Ice Cube", whether they're aware of the impact of their actions or not and how they looks when they fail to recognize the flaws in their current conduct. The same thing is going on here in Canada: Police are called for the defunding of Pride because they don't get a float during this year's event and that people don't want them at their schools (and during a meeting discussing said potential removal, were fully equipped to intimidate everyone at the meeting because it was 100% totally necessary for the discussion to be had) when they're found to disproportionately target students of color.
 
F

FinaruDensetsu

Member
Two Words said:
Our judicial system isn't equipped to properly try cops. Far too many cop-lovers to ever properly convict a cop for shit like this.
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Yeah especially when prosecutors and cops are basically best buddies. Here in LA, they go and grab lunch together all the time. I mean we literally have lunch spots around DTLA which are known spots for DAs and police. Prosecutors need their cop buddies to be perfect witnesses for them in nearly all of their cases. How the hell is there not going to be an incredible amount of conflict of interests there when they have that rare case of having to go against each other?
 
V

Volimar

Member
DCePp7MVYAADIlG.jpg
 
J

JuergenUF

Neo Member
Does anyone know which robbery and which suspect that Castile was allegedly mistaken for? I'm sure the question has come up many times but I can't find anything clearer than "well the cop may have been referring to this other guy with dreadlocks..."
 
Z

ZOONAMI

Junior Member
Star Tribune had an article with an interview of one of the jurors.

Immediately a 10-2 not guilty, 2 hold outs, eventually they caved. Guy said 2 black people on the jury were not the holdouts.

They focused on "culpable negligence" for the manslaughter charge I guess.

I fail to see how you can watch the tapes and not convict. Firing that many rounds is not self defense. Could have killed a kid.

http://www.startribune.com/yanez-juror-talks-about-difficult-and-emotional-deliberations/428966163/
 
O

OG Shaka Zulu

Member
In my 35 years on this planet I've only been pulled over by police 3x. This brother was pulled over 46 fucking times! That is fucking ridiculous. Thank God I don't have any family or in-laws to visit in Minnesota. Been there once, never again.
 
L

LakeEarth

Member
R0ckman said:
One thing I don't get, if its a few "bad apples" why the hell are a majority of the police fighting to fix their own system?
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I always laugh when they say its just a few bad apples because the rest of saying is that they spoil the bunch. Keeping them employed is the exact opposite of the point of the saying.
 
S

Syriel

Member
The Fatal Englishman said:
From what I've read about this, it seems like the prosecution flubbed this one pretty badly.

It appears as if they attempted to introduce a key piece of video testimony that contradicted Yanez' account on the stand, without entering said evidence into discovery first. Presumably, the intent was to setup a 'gotcha' situation wherein Yanez would be forced to take the stand in his defence and the prosecution would thereafter introduce evidence for impeachment in the cross-examination.

The Judge, probably correctly, said 'no es bueno' and disallowed the testimony.
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If the bolded is true, then the prosecutor is an idiot.

No judge will allow that and juries can only rule on what is presented in court.
 
B

btrboyev

Member
Not sure if this is new or not, but the officers dash cam video was made public. Makes the evidence all the more damning.
 
C

cameron

Member
Dashcam footage was released today.


Police release dashcam video that shows fatal shooting of Philando Castile

— Wesley Lowery‏ (@WesleyLowery) June 20, 2017​



Yanez shoots 7 secs after Castile informs him he's armed. Both Castile/Reynolds assure him no one reaching for gun, then officer opens fire

— Wesley Lowery‏ (@WesleyLowery) June 20, 2017​




WaPo: Video footage shows Minn. traffic stop that ended with Philando Castile’s death
The Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop last year fired a volley of bullets within seconds of learning the driver was armed, according to a video recording released publicly Tuesday.
Click to expand...


Video up on Ramsey County's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1ac7Zblqyk
 
V

Vicetrailia

Member
I would be sad this is the United States of America. Cops murder innocent black people, come away clean time after time. Fuck the police. Also isn't that break light still legal? It's not all of the way out.
 
J

Jenov

Member
Christ, that video is horrible. I don't understand what the jury was thinking. Did they get hung up on a legal technicality? Because it seems rather open and shut manslaughter, the cop shot him without confirming an actual threat, just that he "thought" he was reaching for something in the dark. Ridiculous. I feel so bad for that family, and the child that was in the car too. Fucking tragic and shameful.
 
N

NullPointer

Member
Prost said:
Christ, that video is horrible. I don't understand what the jury was thinking. Did they get hung up on a legal technicality? Because it seems rather open and shut manslaughter, the cop shot him without confirming an actual threat, just that he "thought" he was reaching for something in the dark. Ridiculous. I feel so bad for that family, and the child that was in the car too. Fucking tragic and shameful.
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Yeah, this ruling makes no fucking sense whatsoever.
 
A

ahoyhoy

Unconfirmed Member
Cops can't have their cake and eat it too.

If they want to keep being treated like "selfless heroes" risking their lives for civilians every day, they need to be willing to put their lives on the line in situations like this where ambiguity could lead to an innocent being killed.
 
F

FinaruDensetsu

Member
ZOONAMI said:
Star Tribune had an article with an interview of one of the jurors.

Immediately a 10-2 not guilty, 2 hold outs, eventually they caved. Guy said 2 black people on the jury were not the holdouts.

They focused on "culpable negligence" for the manslaughter charge I guess.

I fail to see how you can watch the tapes and not convict. Firing that many rounds is not self defense. Could have killed a kid.

http://www.startribune.com/yanez-juror-talks-about-difficult-and-emotional-deliberations/428966163/
Click to expand...

How the hell weren't the two black people on the jury not Not Guilty!?!?! 8-4 would have had a better chance of eventually convincing everyone to convict.
 
B

Barzul

Member
cameron said:
Dashcam footage was released today.


Police release dashcam video that shows fatal shooting of Philando Castile

— Wesley Lowery‏ (@WesleyLowery) June 20, 2017​



Yanez shoots 7 secs after Castile informs him he's armed. Both Castile/Reynolds assure him no one reaching for gun, then officer opens fire

— Wesley Lowery‏ (@WesleyLowery) June 20, 2017​




WaPo: Video footage shows Minn. traffic stop that ended with Philando Castile’s death



Video up on Ramsey County's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1ac7Zblqyk
Click to expand...

Watching that video made me so angry and helpless at the same time. I don't think there was any series of events where Castille would've come out of it alive there.
 
T

theignoramus

Member
See the 4 year old child exit the vehicle after the officer fires recklessly into it?
That shit makes me feel hate.
What a fucking coward.
 
R

Ri'Orius

Member
Prost said:
Christ, that video is horrible. I don't understand what the jury was thinking. Did they get hung up on a legal technicality? Because it seems rather open and shut manslaughter, the cop shot him without confirming an actual threat, just that he "thought" he was reaching for something in the dark. Ridiculous. I feel so bad for that family, and the child that was in the car too. Fucking tragic and shameful.
Click to expand...

Does the law say anything about confirming a threat? My understanding was that the burden was "feared for his life," (possibly with a "reasonable person would" in there) so if the cop thought the dude was reaching for the gun he's legally in the clear.

There's a lot wrong with drawing the line there, of course, but if that's the law then that's what the jury would've decided based on.
 
T

theignoramus

Member
Ri'Orius said:
Does the law say anything about confirming a threat? My understanding was that the burden was "feared for his life," (possibly with a "reasonable person would" in there) so if the cop thought the dude was reaching for the gun he's legally in the clear.

There's a lot wrong with drawing the line there, of course, but if that's the law then that's what the jury would've decided based on.
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That interpretation of the law allows cops to imagine any threat, act on it, then cite whatever was in their own imagination as self defense. And it doesnt have to have any relation to the facts. Castile's pistol was still in his pocket and where he was shot through his hand, the autopsy said the bullet went through his finger as he had his hand on his seatbelt buckle.

You think that's a fair way to protect people from murderous law enforcement?
 
R

Ri'Orius

Member
theignoramus said:
That interpretation of the law allows cops to imagine any threat, act on it, then cite whatever was in their own imagination as self defense. And it doesnt have to have any relation to the facts. Castile's pistol was still in his pocket and where he was shot through his hand, the autopsy said the bullet went through his finger as he had his hand on his seatbelt buckle.

You think that's a fair way to protect people from murderous law enforcement?
Click to expand...

No, I don't think it's fair. That's why I said that there's a lot wrong with the law.

But people are blaming the jury when it's not the jury's fault. Dude was talking about needing to "confirming an actual threat" when that is, to my understanding, not a requirement in the law.

As I understand the situation, the officer didn't get off because of half-assed prosecution, a racist jury or a blue wall. The officer got off because his actions were within the confines of the law. And it's important to recognize that.
 
G

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
As soon as Castile says he has a firearm, the cop is already putting his hand on his gun. Trigger happy piece of shit.
 
mortal

mortal

Gold Member
I refuse to become desensitized to these atrocities. No matter how hard they try to trivialize the lives of human beings that aren't caucasian.
 
T

theignoramus

Member
Ri'Orius said:
No, I don't think it's fair. That's why I said that there's a lot wrong with the law.

But people are blaming the jury when it's not the jury's fault. Dude was talking about needing to "confirming an actual threat" when that is, to my understanding, not a requirement in the law.

As I understand the situation, the officer didn't get off because of half-assed prosecution, a racist jury or a blue wall. The officer got off because his actions were within the confines of the law. And it's important to recognize that.
Click to expand...

He did get off because of a racist jury. A Black cop with the roles reversed would have absolutely been nailed with, at minimum, reckless discharge of a firearm, one of Yanez' bullets hit the backseat of the car, just on the opposite side of where a 4 year old child sat.
 
P

PanSexual_Peacock

Member
This piece of shit cop did not communicate properly with Castille. He should have told him to disclose the location of the gun and make his hands visible. Telling him not to reach for the gun would imply that he can reach for anything else except the gun. It all escalated so fast Castille probably didn't even have enough time to process what the cop was ordering him to do. This is probably why he was reaching for his license instead of having his hands on the steering wheel.
 
B

Baroquemantic

Member
The video is infuriating and incredibly damning. Fuck those jurors and that trigger happy, piece of shit cop. It's just so fucked up that you can do everything right when interacting with police and still end up losing your life.
 
K

Knightmarre

Member
Is there body cam footage of this? What is happening in the car when the cop is saying dont reach for it, dont pull it out? It looks like the cop reached for something in the car before he fired like a madman.
 
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