On July 6, Philando Castile, just 32-years-old, was shot and killed by a police officer during a routine traffic stop. Castile was compliant with directions and informed officer Jeronimo Yanez that he had a concealed carry permit.
Castile’s fiance, Diamond Reynolds, live streamed the aftermath of the shooting. She reported that Castile was shot four times while he was reaching for his driver’s license.
The heartbreaking video went viral.
In the aftermath of the shooting, a four-year-old child can be heard saying:
“It’s ok mommy… It’s ok, I’m right here with you.”
The child was in the back seat when officer Yanez shot four bullets into the car.
Following Castile’s death Yanez was put on administrative leave. Wednesday August 17, just over a month after the shooting, Yanez returned to work. He will be on desk duties while a federal investigation of the shooting is underway.
Police Chief Jon Mangseth described Yanez as an intelligent officer with people skills. It’s difficult to understand the circumstances under which a man accused of murder receives praise from the Police Chief.
In cases of police brutality, the public is quick to paint a picture of the victims. Criminal records are revealed and discussed at length. People attempt to analyze whether or not the victim might have been perceived as a threat.
On the other hand, we view a police officer who actually does commit acts of violence differently. Their years of service are disclosed. Their reputation and their family status is discussed. They are humanized while victims receive the opposite treatment.
This persistent narrative is frustrating, but what can we do?
We must stay informed.
Research and understand the historical and current significance of inequality in the United States. It’s important to realize that media focuses on stories that capture the public’s attention. However, those stories are just a small part of a larger social construct.
Shaun King addresses this in his recent piece which addresses several cases which gained media popularity. Several cases in which Conservatives have chosen to focus on reactions of the public as opposed to police actions.
He wrote,
“If you believe that the unrest and protests and anger that engulfed Ferguson in 2014 were all about the shooting death of Mike Brown, then you are either willfully ignorant or woefully misinformed… Police brutality, racism, over-policing, unemployment, poor schools, substandard housing, and stark inequality were already the norm the day Brown was killed.”
We must remember the victims.
Philando Castile did not have a significant criminal record. He had some traffic violations. This is not surprising as he had been pulled over at least 49 times in 13 years.
Not that the criminal record of a victim is appropriate to discuss in the aftermath of their murder.
Castile was a straight-A student who graduated with honors.
Castile worked with children, he was a cafeteria supervisor at a Montessori school. He’d been working there since he was just 19-years-old. Colleagues described him as a hard worker who loved the students.
Antonio Johnson, Castile’s cousin described him as “an upstanding citizen“.
Diamond Reynolds remembers her fiance as,
“The ideal man for every – every mother would want their daughter to have someone like my babe. Every woman would want a hard-working man with no kids like my babe. Every woman would want a man to accept their child out of wedlock that was not his, everyone would want that man to be their son, their brother, their husband.”
A group of 25 artists, mostly local to Minneapolis and St. Paul dedicated a website full of poetry, photographs, and music to Philando Castile’s memory.
We must demand transparency and accountability.
Police are convicted in an estimated 0.1 percent of civilian killings. The exact number is unknown as police are not mandated to report the killings to a national database.
Please sign this ACLU petition demanding accountability in reporting.
