Shocking new footage has emerged from the controversial police shooting of Philando Castile in the U.S.
The 32-year-old school worker and well-respected man in the community was shot six times by Officer Jeronimo Yanez. Castile was in the car with his fiancee Diamond Reynolds and her four-year-old daughter.
The new footage shows Yanez open fire even after Castile had told him he had a gun but was not reaching for it – instead going to get his driving license.
You can watch the harrowing footage below:
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The killing in Minnesota last year sparked a huge angry backlash that gave even more fuel to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Officer Yanez was charged with manslaughter but was found not guilty by a jury of ten white jurors last week.
A Freedom of Information request by Tony Webster has seen new footage emerge which shows Ms Reynolds in the back of the car handcuffed and arrested. Her four-year-old daughter is in tears alongside her.
FacebookHer daughter then says:
Please don’t scream because I don’t want you to get shooted… I can keep you safe.
To which Diamond replies:
They not going to shoot me ok… I’m already in handcuffs.
Yanez said in court he thought Castile was a suspect in an armed robbery case due to the similar shape of nose.
Naturally, civil rights campaigners have said the verdict is a gross injustice to the facts of the case and more proof of racial bias in America’s police force.
The shooting gained global attention as Ms Reynolds began streaming the shooting on Facebook Live showing Castile covered in blood in the front seat of the car.
Castile’s mother said after the verdict:
I’m mad as hell right now. My first-born son died. Just because he was a police officer, that makes it OK.
She claimed the verdict shows that the system continues to fail black people.
Yanez claimed throughout the trial he feared for his life and now the trial is over, will not return to active duty, instead agreeing a ‘voluntary separation agreement’.
Taking the idea of ‘being woke’ to a whole new level over a decade-long career in sport, court and online news, George has worked for titles and agencies including ESPN FC, Eurosport, LADbible and Court News UK. He may not have a degree but does have an unhealthy obsession with Lord of the Rings.