City of St. Anthony to Pay Philando Castile’s Mother $3 million Over Fatal Police Shooting
In July 2016, Philando Castile, a 32-year-old African American cafeteria worker, was allegedly shot to death by a police officer in St. Anthony, Minnesota. Castile’s girlfriend started filming on Facebook live just after the alleged shots were fired; the video went viral. There has been tremendous public outcry over the deadly incident, including massive protests and rallies demanding justice for Castile’s death. Several major milestones in the case have occurred this month. On June 16, 2017, the police officer who allegedly shot Castile was acquitted of a charge of second-degree manslaughter and a charge of endangering safety by discharging a firearm. Today, June 26, a settlement between Castile’s mother and the City of St. Anthony has been reached. According to a statement from the city, through an insurance trust, Valerie Castile will receive $2.995 million as a settlement in the alleged police shooting death of her son.
This nearly $3 million settlement must be approved by a state court. News sources say the agreement will avert a federal wrongful death lawsuit.
St. Anthony city officials said the settlement was intentionally reached as quickly as possible, as a way of allowing the Castile family and the community of St. Anthony Village as well as all people throughout the U.S. who have been impacted by Castile’s death to begin the process of healing and moving forward. The city also expressed the hope that trust between the police department and the communities it serves will be improved.
A police cruiser dashcam video was released in June 2017, also, and it shows that there was a rapid escalation of discussion to shots being fired. The police officer who allegedly shot Castile said that Castile refused to comply with his commands. The officer says he believes Castile was reaching for his gun.
Some of the protestors speaking out about Castile’s death say that the protests aren’t about the issue of compliance. Many claim that the law enforcement system consistently fails black people.
–Guest Contributor
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