Philandro Castile verdict

[KingsGambit]

David French from National Review has a good write up on the Philando Castile verdict. Basically, a man was pulled over, and informed the officer that he had a concealed weapon on him. The officer asked him for his license, and fatally shot Castile as he pulled his license out. His girlfriend caught the whole thing on camera.

I get the angle of the police being afraid but Castile literally did everything right; he was upfront about the fact that he was carrying (which he had the constitutional right to do), said nothing threatening, and followed the officer's instructions to the T. The officer's lawyer argued that he smelled marijuana, even if this is the case, this is irrelevant to the case. There should have been accountability here.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner...rriage-justice

[KingsGambit]

Also interesting that there's not a word from the NRA on this; usually the NRA is very vocal when gun rights are threatened (in other incidents they released an immediate statement even before a trial).

[Darth Executor]

i can't find a video of the actual shooting, there's only video of the aftermath

[Littlejoe]

The only video I've seen starts after the gun shot. Do you have a link to the full video by chance? The transcript certainly paints the shoot in bad light...

[KingsGambit]

The only video I've seen starts after the gun shot. Do you have a link to the full video by chance? The transcript certainly paints the shoot in bad light...

I'm apparently wrong, that is when the video does start. The police department has the full dash cam video but won't release it.

[Leonhard]

Don't worry about the dashcam recording. Nothing to see here. We'll just delete it, wouldn't want this controversy to keep burning would we. Afterall the officer felt he saw a gun, ergo he could have done nothing wrong.

[Darth Executor]

Don't worry about the dashcam recording. Nothing to see here. We'll just delete it, wouldn't want this controversy to keep burning would we. Afterall the officer felt he saw a gun, ergo he could have done nothing wrong.

Presumably it was show in court where the jury, including 2 black members, decided there wasn't enough evidence to convict.

[KingsGambit]

Don't worry about the dashcam recording. Nothing to see here. We'll just delete it, wouldn't want this controversy to keep burning would we. Afterall the officer felt he saw a gun, ergo he could have done nothing wrong.

If it exonerated him then the department would no doubt have released it by now given the intense criticism they've received.

[Leonhard]

If it exonerated him then the department would no doubt have released it by now given the intense criticism they've received.

As nearly as I can tell from reportings he got off due to a particular wording in the matter of what counts as culpable negligence.

If I were an American I would trust the police and court system less after this.

[Mountain Man]

David French from National Review has a good write up on the Philando Castile verdict. Basically, a man was pulled over, and informed the officer that he had a concealed weapon on him. The officer asked him for his license, and fatally shot Castile as he pulled his license out. His girlfriend caught the whole thing on camera.

Is that how it really went down? Obviously the officer felt the guy was a threat. I can't imagine a cop just randomly shooting someone for no reason, and it seems the jury agreed.

[Jedidiah]

As nearly as I can tell from reportings he got off due to a particular wording in the matter of what counts as culpable negligence.

If I were an American I would trust the police and court system less after this.

I believe the police for the most part are pretty much good guys. But just because someone is a cop, and I have a couple friends who are, does not make them automatically trustworthy in every situation. I respect the police but there seems to be a reluctance to toss the bad apple out.

[Darth Executor]

I believe the police for the most part are pretty much good guys. But just because someone is a cop, and I have a couple friends who are, does not make them automatically trustworthy in every situation. I respect the police but there seems to be a reluctance to toss the bad apple out.

This particular guy got fired. I think manslaughter charge was appropriate based on what is known, but what is known is based on what the media reports, and the media has zero credibility on these issues after the Trayvon Martin Righteous Purification.

[demi-conservative]

(from transcript by Clinton News Network, so take with lots of salt!!!)
9:05:52 - 9:05:55 p.m. -- Castile told Yanez: "Sir, I have to tell you that I do have a firearm on me." Before Castile completed the sentence, Yanez interrupted and replied, "Okay" and placed his right hand on the holster of his gun.

Saying 'I have gun!!!'??? How better can this lawabiding person can put cop on edge??

[Leonhard]

Saying 'I have gun!!!'??? How better can this lawabiding person can put cop on edge??

Actually that is the correct way to handle being stopped. A friend of mine in the US was pulled over by the cops once and asked to step out of his car. He did so, with the hands behind his head, informing the officer "I am complying with your instructions. I am currently carrying a large toolknife in the right backpocket." Its litterally the right thing to do.

Nobody disputes that Yanez had absolutely no proper reason to shoot Castile, nor that Castile wasn't doing everything right. Everyone reports that both the dashcam recording, and the witness testimony basically backs this up. The only controversy is whether this should be classed as an 'accident' that Yanez wasn't culpable for, or whether it was second-degree manslaughter. It seems to was deemed to be the first according to the law of Minnesota.

Unfortunately this leaves us with a situation where a police officer in the span of 107 seconds, escalated from stopping a person to unloading seven bullets into his chest, and nearly hitting the nearby passenger, while the person had done everything right and complied with the police... and this resulting in no charge of misdemeanor for the police officer.

[demi-conservative]

Actually that is the correct way to handle being stopped... Its litterally the right thing to do.

Sounds like that might change, just like 'how to react to plane hijackers' changed after 9/11!!!

Unfortunately this leaves us with a situation where a police officer in the span of 107 seconds, escalated from stopping a person to unloading seven bullets into his chest, and nearly hitting the nearby passenger, while the person had done everything right

Sounds really really autistic, 'I told you I have gun' and so he did everything right. I ticked all boxes on the checklist, must have done everything right!!! Maybe, just maybe, after telling cop he has gun (and putting him massively on edge!) he should just wait for a few seconds for further instructions or clarify before trying to reach for something.

Really sounds to me that people take meetings with cops (judge+jury+executioner combined*) really really too casually.