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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 17 June 2017
Minnesota officer acquitted in shooting of Philando Castile

By STEVE KARNOWSKI dered by the police of Min-
AMY FORLITI nesota,” his mother, Valerie
Associated Press Castile said, referring to the
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A fact that her son was shot
Minnesota police officer seconds after he volun-
was acquitted of man- teered to the officer, “Sir, I
slaughter Friday in the fatal have to tell you, I do have
shooting of Philando Cas- a firearm on me.”
tile, a black motorist whose “He didn’t deserve to die
girlfriend streamed the af- the way he did,” Philando
termath live on Facebook. Castile’s sister, Allysza, said,
Jeronimo Yanez was also through tears.
cleared of two lesser “I will never have faith in
charges in the July traffic the system.”
stop in a St. Paul suburb, Supporters of the family
drawing an emotional re- planned a 7 p.m. CDT rally
action from Castile family at the Capitol.
members who stormed out Meanwhile, the city of St.
of the courtroom. Anthony swiftly announced
“The fact in this matter is plans to dismiss Yanez, say-
that my son was murdered, ing it had concluded “the
and I’ll continue to say public will be best served”
murdered, because where if he left the department.
in this planet (can you) tell Jurors deliberated for Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, spoke with passion about her reaction to a not guity
the truth, and you be hon- about 29 hours over five verdict for Officer Jeronimo Yanez at the Ramsey County Courthouse in St. Paul, Minn., on Friday
est, and you still be mur- days before reaching the June 16, 2017.
(Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP)
verdict in the death of ed his actions.
Castile, who had a per- Yanez stared ahead with
mit for the weapon. Pros- no reaction as the verdict
ecutors argued that Yanez was read.
had overreacted and that Afterward, one of his at-
Castile, a school cafeteria torneys, Tom Kelly, said the
worker, was not a threat. defense was “satisfied.”
Yanez, who is Latino, testi- Prosecutors declined to
fied that Castile was pulling comment.
his gun out of his pocket Castile’s shooting was
despite his commands not among a string of killings
to do so. of blacks by police around
The defense also argued the U.S., including two oth-
Castile was high on mari- er cases on trial this week in
juana and said that affect- Ohio and Wisconsin. q

Girlfriend whose texts urged
suicide guilty of manslaughter

By DENISE LAVOIE the circumstances of Roy’s
AP Legal Affairs Writer death, but she was stoic
TAUNTON, Mass. (AP) — A when the verdict was for-
woman who sent her boy- mally pronounced. As
friend a barrage of text spectators and members
messages urging him to of both the Roy and Carter
kill himself when they were families left the courtroom,
both teenagers was con- she sat at the defense ta-
victed Friday of involun- ble, sobbing, while her law-
tary manslaughter in a trial yers tried to comfort her.
that raised questions about The judge focused his rul-
whether words can kill. ing on three words Carter
The judge found that Mi- said to the 18-year-old Roy
chelle Carter caused the after he climbed out of his
death of Conrad Roy III, truck as it was filling with
who intentionally filled his toxic gas and told her he
truck with carbon monox- was scared. “Get back in,”
ide in a Fairhaven, Massa- Carter told Roy, accord-
chusetts, store parking lot in ing to a friend who testified
July 2014. that Carter described the
Carter, who faces up to 20 conversation in a text mes-
years in prison, cried and sage to her about a month
clutched a handkerchief to after Roy died.
her face as Juvenile Court The judge said those words
Judge Lawrence Moniz constituted “wanton and
detailed her conduct and reckless conduct.”q