Philando Castile was an Armed Robbery Suspect
Philando Castile robbery suspect: Security footage of robbery (image source LillieNews.com)
In a major twist, it turns out that Philando Castile was stopped because he was a suspect in an armed robbery, not because his tail light was out. This new discovery is shedding new light on a shooting that is looking more justified each day.
Philando Castile was shot by St Anthony Officer Jeronimo Yanez during a traffic stop on Wednesday. Officer Yanez’s patrol partner, Officer Joseph Kauser, was present at the time. Immediately after the shooting, Castile’s girlfriend and passenger, Diamond Reynolds, started livestreaming the event on Facebook while narrating what was happening.
If you missed the video, you can see it here:
Until now, the only version of events that has been made publicly available is Reynold’s account of events. Reynolds painted a disturbing picture: Officer Yanez asked Castile for his identification. Philando Castile told Officer Yanez that he had his concealed carry permit. Castile then reached for his wallet and was shot. In the video, Officer Yanez was left screaming “I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand off it.”
The accuracy of Reynold’s version of events is unknown, because there has been very little information about this incident released publicly. If her account is accurate, then it paints the picture of an overly-jumpy cop who shot Castile for reaching for his wallet, after being specifically asked to get his identification.
Now, news station Kare11 has received audio recordings of scanner traffic when the traffic stop was called out on the radio:
“I’m going to stop a car,” the officer says on the recording. “I’m going to check IDs. I have reason to pull it over.”
“The two occupants just look like people that were involved in a robbery,” the officer says. “The driver looks more like one of our suspects, just ‘cause of the wide set nose,” the officer continues.
A minute and a half later, the recording captures the first report that there was a shooting.
Officer: “Shots fired Larpenteur and Fry.”
Dispatch: “Copy you just heard it? … You just heard the shots fired?”
Officer: (screaming) “Code 3! Shots fired.”
Dispatch: “Copy shots fired Larpenteur and Fry. Do you need medics?”
Officer: “Code 3!”
Dispatch: “Copy. Medics — code 3 to Larpenteur and Fry.”
Officer: “One adult female taken into custody. Driver at gunpoint.”
It’s believed that the officer was referring to a gas station robbery that had happened four days earlier, and was reported on by LillieNews.com.
Some people are questioning if it’s possible for Officer Yanez to get a good enough look at the driver of another vehicle where he could recognize them as the suspect. I can tell you for a fact that I frequently arrest wanted persons after I recognize them as they drive past me in the daytime.
The disparity between the radio traffic and Reynold’s version of events has people wondering if Reynolds is lying. Reynolds is most likely telling the truth about the reason for the stop. Police officers are not required to tell people the actual reason they were stopped, as long as they were stopped for a lawful reason. The officer’s purpose was simply to identify Castile so that he could be investigated as a suspect in the robbery. The officers likely told Castile that they stopped him for a taillight violation; that way Castile would assume that it was a routine traffic stop and hopefully not react violently. Because the officers knew that they were dealing with potentially armed felony suspects, they were likely on high-alert for any motion that may indicate that somebody was reaching for a gun. It just so happens that in the video, you can see Castile’s right hand on a gun:
Philando Castile’s right and on a gun
Despite Castile being shot for apparently grabbing a gun, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has declared that Castile was shot for being black and that the officers responsible would be brought to justice.
There are some media outlets that are going so far as to claim that Castile was actually the person who committed the robbery, but that information is actually unknown at this time. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Assistance is investigating and they are not releasing further details at this time.
The media has already started to write up news articles about how close Officer Yanez and his patrol partner, Officer Kauser were. The newsworthiness of the relationship between these two co-workers is questionable, unless the media is preparing to attack Officer Kauser’s official account of events. It’s presumed that Officer Kauser’s version of events will match that of Officer Yanez, simply due to the fact that they were both present at the time of the shooting. If that account is different than the media narrative of an innocent man shot for being black, then they are prepared to defend their false narrative by attacking Officer Kauser. This kind of disgusting reporting by the news media is a significant contributor to the lies that bolster Black Lives Matter.
With no official details of the investigation released, it’s too early to definitively call this shooting as justified or not. However, there is significant evidence that the shooting may have been justified, and there isn’t a shred of evidence that Castile’s race had anything to do with his shooting. You don’t need to decide if the shooting was justified or not to agree that it may have been reasonable. Let’s get the word out that this wasn’t a cold-blooded murder, which is how the mainstream media is selling it.
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Amber
Officers can definitely see into vehicles, moving or not! I was giving someone a ride one day and got pulled over…. for no reason, or so I thought! The “friend” that I was giving a ride to was wanted… when I stopped he got out and ran. :\ I give no more rides!!!
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Bruce L Drucker
Thank you for representing a balanced view in a world too quick to judge the actions and motives of the individuals who place their lives on the line every day to protect and serve others. Those who have never been in the position of trying to do the job have no idea what it is like having to make split second life and death decisions that have not only immediate but wide ranging impact once reached and acted upon.
Marie Comer
1. Philando Castile had already used a gun to threaten someones’ life during an ARMED robbery. That IS what “Armed” means.
2. Diamond Reynolds turned her cell phone video on AFTER her boyfriend was shot. She held it in position while Philando died.
3. Diamond Reynolds videoed her boyfriend Philando instead of showing any compassion toward Philando. She did not hold him, try to render aide to him or ask the officers to get him help.
4. Diamond Reynolds had her 4 year daughter in the car with Philandro whom she has referred to as her fiance and as her boyfriend. Either way, she probably knew he was a wanted felon and that he was in possession of a weapon. This was not a situation where any minor should have been with her.
5. Diamond Reynolds did not try to comfort her 4 year daughter or even protect her from harm. That would have been the natural, immediate response of a caring mother.
Was Diamond Reynolds first priority to get video evidence so that she could file a civil suit against the police department? If not, why didn’t she stop videoing and respond to her fiance/boyfriend Philando or her young daughter?
CJ Brown
He was not a suspect, he fit the description of a suspect. There’s a big difference.
Mike
MARK DAYTON RESIGN> YOU HAVE THE BLOOD OF 5 DEAD POLICE OFFICERS ON YOUR HANDS>