Trial For Officer Who Shot Philando Castile Set To Begin
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities police officer goes on trial this week, nearly nine months after he shot and killed Philando Castile.
It happened during a traffic stop last July. St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez pulled over Castile's car in Falcon Heights because he thought it matched the description of a man wanted in a recent armed robbery.
Prosecutors say the shooting was not justified, and charged Yanez with second degree manslaughter.
Castile's girlfriend was a passenger in the car that day and streamed the aftermath of the shooting live on Facebook.
The shooting sparked weeks of protests and led to conversations about police guidelines in several metro communities.
Jury selection will begin Tuesday morning, and that process alone could take the better part of this week. After that, testimony could take a couple of weeks.