Local News

Police Fatally Shoot Man During Traffic Stop, Aftermath Video Posted

July 6, 2016 / 11:22 PM CDT / CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 32-year-old man has died after an officer-involved shooting Wednesday night in Falcon Heights.

Philando Castile's mother, Valerie Castile, says he died at Hennepin County Medical Center just before 9:40 p.m.

St. Anthony Police said in a press release that officers pulled over a vehicle at Larpenteur Avenue and Fry Street at about 9 p.m. They said "shots were fired" during the traffic stop, and a handgun was recovered at the scene. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating.

WARNING: Video Contains Disturbing Images And Audio

Video: Police Shooting Aftermath Live On Facebook by WCCO - CBS Minnesota on YouTube

Castile's family says his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her 4-year-old daughter were in the car at the time. Reynolds was taken into custody Wednesday night.

The video above, filmed by Reynolds under the Facebook account for Lavish Reynolds, began circulating on Facebook shortly after the shooting, but was pulled from the site before midnight.

Reynolds, who was in the front passenger seat, says in the video that they were pulled over for a broken tail light. She says police asked Castile, who was driving, for his license and registration.

She says as Castile was reaching for his wallet, he informed officers that he had a firearm in his possession, and a conceal-and-carry permit.

Reynolds says in the video that an officer then shot her boyfriend four times.

The officer in the video at one point screams, "I told him not to reach for it! I told him to get his hand out …"

Reynolds tells the officer, "You told him to get his I.D., sir, his driver's license."

She pans the cellphone camera over Castile, who is covered in blood.

"Oh my God, please don't tell me he's dead. Please don't tell me my boyfriend just went like that," Reynolds said.

The officer, whose gun is drawn the entire time, tells Reynolds to, "Keep your hands where they are."

"Yes I will, sir, I'll keep my hands where they are," she said.

Reynolds is then told to get out of the car. Her cellphone shows several officers with guns drawn, and one officer holding her daughter, who was in the back seat of the car when Castile was shot.

Valerie Castile told WCCO that her son was a cafeteria supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori School in St. Paul. He would have turned 33 on July 16.

Sgt. Jon Mangseth, St. Anthony Police's interim chief, told reporters late Wednesday night that he was aware of the Facebook video, but not of its content.

"[We haven't had an] officer-involved shooting in, you know, 30 years or more. I'd have to go back in the history books, to tell you the truth," Mangseth said.

He later stated in a brief press conference early Thursday morning that the officer who shot Castile has been placed on standard paid administrative leave.

The St. Anthony Police Department provides police services for the neighboring cities of Falcon Heights and Lauderdale.

Castile's family and friends gathered at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis late Wednesday night, and were later joined by Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds and other community activists.

An estimated 200 people were gathered at the shooting site in Falcon Heights at 1:30 a.m. Police started towing cars soon after, and most people left by 2:30 a.m.

Protesters then began to gather at the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul after 2 a.m.

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Below is a transcript of Reynolds' Facebook video.

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Reynolds: Stay with me. We got pulled over for a busted tail light in the back and he's covered … they killed my boyfriend. He's licensed to carry. He was trying to get out his ID and his wallet out his pocket and he let the officer know that he had a firearm and he was reaching for his wallet and the officer just shot him in his arm.

Officer: Ma'am, keep your hands where they are.

Reynolds: I am sir, no worries.

Officer: [Yells expletive.]

Reynolds: He just got his arm shot off. We got pulled over on Larpenteur.

Officer: I told him not to reach for it! I told him to get his head up!

Reynolds: He had, you told him to get his ID, sir, his driver's license. Please don't tell me he's dead.

Officer: [Expletive.]

Reynolds: Please don't tell me my boyfriend just went like that.

Officer: Keep your hands where they are.

Reynolds: Yes I will, sir. I will keep my hands where they are. Please don't tell me that he's gone. Please don't tell me that he's gone. Please officer, don't tell me that you just did this to him. You shot four bullets into him, sir. He was just getting his license and registration, sir.

[Silence]

Other Officer: Get the female passenger out of the car.

Reynolds: Where's my daughter? You have my daughter?"

[Five Minutes Later]

Reynolds: I got … the Roseville Police got me handcuffed, my phone is about to die. I'm on Larpenteur and Fry and the Roseville Police Department just shot my boyfriend. They shot him four times. He has a license to carry. We had a busted tail light. And we had some weed in the car that's about it.

Philando Castile