Some good news has befallen a tragic situation. St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez, the cop who killed Philando Castile in July, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter. This is reportedly the first time a police officer has been charged in Minnesota in more than 35 years. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi had this to say about the decision:
"Philando Castile was not resisting or fleeing ... There was absolutely no criminal intent exhibited by him throughout this encounter. ...He was respectful and compliant. ... He volunteered in good faith that he had a firearm beyond what the law requires."
Castile's altercation with Yanez was live streamed on Facebook by Castile's girlfriend, a move which undoubtedly has led to this groundbreaking decision to press charges. Following the shooting, protests erupted across America and beyond. Philando Castile was 37 at the time of his death.
