After weeks of protests calling for his arrest, the prosecutor charged police officer, Jeronimo Yanez, with second-degree manslaughter on Wednesday after he shot and killed Philando Castile, a driver he had pulled over.  Yanez, who will appear in court on Friday, was also charged with two felony counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm.

“It is my conclusion that the use of deadly force by Officer Yanez was not justified and that sufficient facts exist to prove this to be true,” John J. Choi, the Ramsey County attorney, said.

32-year-old Castile was a school cafeteria worker stopped in the small suburb of Falcon Heights by Officer Yanez of the St. Anthony Police in Minnesota on July 6th.  Authorities said Officer Yanez fatally shot Mr. Castile after spotting a gun, and a lawyer for Officer Yanez stated that Mr. Castile had not followed the officer's commands.

Mr. Castile's girlfriend, however, streamed the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook Live. She is claiming that her boyfriend had a license to carry a weapon.  She said Castile was trying to tell Officer Yanez about the gun while reaching for his ID.  This was not Castile's first instance with police; he had been pulled over dozens of times prior without conflict. Those who knew him recalled him as a calm and peaceful man.

The Facebook video recorded by his girlfriend brought national attention to the case as it went viral on social media and sparked outrage.  The governor of Minnesota, Mark Dayton, suggested that Castile's race might have played a role in the shooting.

Castile's death was among several cases in Minnesota that have raised questions about race, and its effect on policing.  Last year, Jamar Clark, another black man, was fatally shot by aMinneapolis officer in an incident that also set off protests.  Castile's death happened within a day of another controversial police shooting.  Alton Sterling was shot killed by police in Baton Rouge.  The shooting death of Sterling was captured on video and spread around social media as well, sparking protests for him and Castile.

Source: nytimes.com