ACLU Sues City Of St. Anthony For Castile Shooting Squad Car Video
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Minnesota is suing to get crucial video of a shooting that rocked the world.
The group announced a lawsuit Thursday against the city of St. Anthony, demanding the release of squad car footage of the Philando Castile shooting.
In July, St. Anthony Police officer Jeronimo Yanez shot and killed Castile in Falcon Heights during a traffic stop. His girlfriend -- who was in the car at the time -- streamed live video of the aftermath on Facebook, stirring outrage in Minnesota and across the country.
In the course of the investigation, law enforcement officials revealed Yanez's squad car had a dashboard camera that recorded the entirety of the shooting. They say they can't release the video until their investigation -- now nearly two months in -- is complete.
Now, the local ACLU is suing for the release of that video, arguing that the public has the right to access that footage, and withholding it is in violation of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.
The group noted that Castile's family is not involved in the suit.