In a statement given today, July 7, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton called for a Department of Justice investigation into the fatal shooting of Philando Castile.
Castile was killed during a traffic stop by a policeman on Wednesday, July 6. A graphic Facebook video showed the 32-year-old man in the aftermath of being shot. Castile’s girlfriend said that when pulled over, he informed the officer that he was licensed to carry a concealed firearm (as required by law) and was then shot while reaching for identification.
Protesters took to the streets and flocked to the Governor’s residence demanding that Dayton acknowledge the shooting. On Thursday morning, the Governor released this statement:
“I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community of Philando Castile. Our state today grieves with them. This morning, I spoke by phone with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough to request that the U.S. Department of Justice begin an immediate independent federal investigation into this matter. Overnight, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension began an independent investigation at the state level. They are currently collecting all necessary evidence, and interviewing witnesses, to determine what happened, and to assure that justice in this case is served. I will do everything in my power to help protect the integrity of that investigation, to ensure a proper and just outcome for all involved.”
Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) also released a statement Thursday. Expressing his sadness and disgust at the killing, and echoing Dayton’s call for justice, Franken said:
“I am horrified and heartbroken by the death of Philando Castile. I am horrified that we are forced to confront yet another death of a young African-American man at the hands of law enforcement. And I am heartbroken for Philando’s family and loved ones, whose son, brother, boyfriend, and nephew was taken from them last night. They deserve nothing less than a full and independent investigation into Philando’s death by the Department of Justice. As Philando’s mother said this morning, ‘All we want is justice.’ We need to make sure that justice is pursued swiftly and thoroughly in this case, and we must also recognize that it is our job as lawmakers to help address and dismantle the systemic racial inequalities that lead to far too many of these deaths.”
Governor Dayton said the outcome would have been different if Castile had been white. He also added that the shooting demonstrated a troubling pattern of racism among some Minnesota police officers.
President Obama said it best in his comments about the shooting:
“These are not isolated incidents… They are symptomatic of a broader set of racial inequalities that exist in our criminal justice system.”
Now, what are we going to do about it?
