The Minnesota cop who shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop in 2016 has been found not guilty of second-degree manslaughter Friday.
According to CNN he also was acquitted of two counts of intentional discharge of firearm.
Castile’s death was recognized nationwide protests over the use of force by police after his girlfriend broadcast the shooting.
Several people and family screamed and cried after they’d heard the verdict.
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Mr. Yanez were led out of the court room very quickly, and Mr. Castile’s family left immediately. When a deputy tried to stop his mother, she yelled “Let me go.”
Later, she said: “My son loved this city, and this city killed my son. And a murderer gets away. Are you kidding me right now?”
At the trial, in downtown St. Paul, lawyers made repeated mention of Mr. Castile’s and Ms. Reynolds’s use of weed. It was found in Mr. Castile’s car after the shooting.
“We’re not saying that Philando Castile was going to shoot Officer Yanez,” Mr. Gray said. “What we’re saying is that he did not follow orders. He was stoned.”
“He offered no resistance,” Mr. Paulsen said of Mr. Castile. “He made no threats. He didn’t even complain about being stopped for such a minor offense.”