Castile's Lawyer Strikes Back At Officer's Team
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The attorneys for Philando Castile's mother call the assertion that Castile was negligent in his own death "ludicrous."
In court documents filed Wednesday, Officer Jeronimo Yanez asked that manslaughter and other charges be dismissed.
They argue Castile was high on marijuana during the fatal traffic stop in July, and that he should not have been driving or carrying a gun because he was impaired.
In a statement, attorneys for Castile's mother said, "This is the designed play for the defense of police officers who kill citizens, always blame the victim," and "They want to say and have you believe that Philando was the negligent one and somehow that matters in excusing or defending the officer. It does not."
Yanez is an officer of the St. Anthony Police Department, which also patrols the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights, where Castile was killed.
One of the lawyers on Castile's mother's team is Glenda Hatchett, the former star of the show "Judge Hatchett."