Police Officer Who Killed Philando Castile Found Not Guilty, Twitter Reacts [VIDEO]
NEW: Philando Castile's mother reacts to not guilty verdict against police officer in the death of her son: "I'm mad as hell right now." pic.twitter.com/rWsq3XnhHt
— ABC News (@ABC) June 16, 2017
On Friday (June 16), a Minnesota jury has found a police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop last summer not guilty of second-degree manslaughter.
Philando Castile was shot several times by St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez after he pulled Castile and his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, over in St. Paul, Minn., last July. The aftermath of the shooting was captured on Reynolds’ cell phone who live-streamed it on Facebook Live.
"It's a sad state of affairs when this type of criminal conduct is condoned simply because Yanez is a policeman," Reynolds said in a statement (via ABC News). "God help America."
In the courtroom, Castile’s mother, Valerie Castile, abruptly left the court after the not guilty announcement and before court was formally dismissed. Outside of the courthouse, Valerie expressed her outrage over the verdict.
"The system continues to fail all black people," she said. "I am so disappointed in the state of Minnesota. My son loved this state."
"We are not evolving as a civilization, we are devolving," she continued. "I'm mad as hell right now. My first born...dead here in Minnesota."
Castile's family attorney, Glenda Hatchett, also expressed her frustration. "I don't know what more could have been done," she said. "I am disappointed. My heart breaks for this family. My heart breaks for this nation."
Meanwhile, on Twitter, people have expressed their outrage and frustration over the verdict.
"How long will they kill our brothers while we stand around and look?" tweeted actor Wendell Pierce. Journalist and author Tavis Smiley wrote, "If #philandocastile can be murdered without any police accountability, then there is no such thing as 'wrongful death' anymore."
Read more reactions from Twitter below.