Lawyer: Cop Who Shot Philando Castile Thought He Was Robbery Suspect

Banners block the entrance gate as demonstrators gather outside the governor's residence Friday, July 8, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn., where protests continue over the shooting death by police of Philando Castile after a... Banners block the entrance gate as demonstrators gather outside the governor's residence Friday, July 8, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn., where protests continue over the shooting death by police of Philando Castile after a traffic stop Wednesday, July 6, in Falcon Heights. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) MORE LESS
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A lawyer for a suburban Minnesota police officer who killed a black driver says his client pulled the man over in part because he believed he resembled a suspect in a robbery.

Philando Castile had no felony record and authorities have not said he was a suspect in any crime.

But attorney Thomas Kelly tells the Star Tribune newspaper that Officer Jeronimo Yanez thought the 32-year-old Castile looked like someone police had been seeking in a recent robbery.

Castile’s girlfriend was in the vehicle. She has said Castile was reaching for his wallet when he was shot, after telling officers he had a gun and a permit for it.

Kelly told The Associated Press that Yanez was reacting to the seeing that gun when he drew his own weapon.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  1. A lawyer for a suburban Minnesota police officer who killed a black driver says his client pulled the man over in part because he believed he resembled a suspect in a robbery.

    i.e. 1. He wasn’t white. 2. He had a nose, mouth, eyes, and ears.

  2. The officer also vaguely remembered something on the bulletin board about how driving a '98 Buick was a capital offense.

  3. That is a complete load of crap. Just as was the premise for pulling him over.

  4. Funny how the story is slowly changing now. This is a man that had been pulled over something like over 50 times, and for what other than DWB?? I thought the reason the car was pulled over this time was for a broken taillight or some such shit. I guess they can’t justify that seeing how it was broad daylight and a taillight wouldn’t be seen as a problem using that excuse, unless it was a broken brake light. But that’s not what they said initially.

  5. Avatar for marby marby says:

    I heard this argument (i.e. his car resembled that of a robbery suspect) start to circulate late yesterday. Even if Castile were found guilty of robbery, it’s not a crime that carries the death penalty. Every one of us could be driving a vehicle that resembles one involved in a traffic accident or could resemble a possible suspect or . . . . . I guess we should all justifiably expect to be shot by police at any time.

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