ST. PAUL, Minn. - Family members of a black motorist shot dead by a Minnesota police officer last year reacted angrily to the officer being found innocent of manslaughter.
Officer Jeronimo Yanez was cleared of that charge and two lesser ones Friday in the death of 32-year-old Philando Castile. Yanez shot Castile five times during a traffic stop last July in a St. Paul suburb, seconds after Castile informed him he was carrying a gun.
Castile's mother, Valerie, stood and swore when the jury's verdict was read in St. Paul. His sister and others sobbed loudly. Family members immediately tried to leave the courtroom, and did so after security officers briefly barred their way.