Less Than 24 Hours Later Another Black Man Is Killed By Police
Update: A Facebook live video of Lavish Reynolds has since popped up following the aftermath of the Philando Castile shooting. Here, you can see Reynolds address journalists as well as members of the community on what happened.
First Alton Sterling, and now Philando Castile. This past Wednesday evening Castile was shot by police in Falcon Heights — a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota — when he and his girlfriend Lavish Reynolds were pulled over for a broken taillight. The aftermath of the incident, captured in a Facebook live video by Reynolds, shows Castile lying in the passenger seat of the two's car, his body slumped over as blood covers a white shirt he's wearing. If you are going to watch the video please know that it is extremely graphic.
Reynolds calmly explains that the officer "asked him for license and registration. He told him that it was in his wallet, but he had a pistol on him because he's licensed to carry. The officer said don't move. As he was putting his hands back up, the officer shot him in the arm four or five times."
A uniformed officer is visible in the video holding a pistol that's directed at the couple outside of the car. He can be heard saying "I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand out." The video then goes to Reynolds being ordered out of the car by several police officers, one of whom is holding a girl that's presumed to be her 4-year-old daughter. Reynolds is put on her knees, handcuffed and led to the back of a squad car.
"Please don't tell me my boyfriend's gone," the girlfriend pleads as she's handcuffed. "He don't deserve this, please. He works for St. Paul Public Schools. He's never been in jail, anything. He's not a gang member, anything." Castile was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He's since been announced dead according to WCCO Minnesota. Castile would've turned 33 this coming Friday.
What hurts the most is knowing that their little girl had to witness all of this. That both Reynolds and her daughter had to watch someone they cared about and loved die right before their eyes. Another black man gone at the hands of police brutality. We'll continue to update this story as more news becomes available, but until then please take care of yourselves. This is tough, y'all.
