As Twitchy reported earlier this week, Officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter in the shooting death of 32-year-old Philando Castile last July during a traffic stop. The Federalist’s Sean Davis called the decision “every concealed carrier’s worst nightmare,” and plenty of conservatives agreed that the verdict was confounding … by most accounts, Castile had done everything right when confronted by Officer Yanez.
In some ways it’s a shame that Castile was adopted by the Black Lives Matter movement, which became an umbrella under names were rotated in and out to reflect the public’s interest and the closing of investigations. No two cases are the same, and dash cam video released Tuesday seems to verify that Castile’s shooting was every concealed carrier’s worst nightmare.
Dashcam footage shows lawful gun owner Philando Castile politely informing officer he is armed and then being shot. https://t.co/qi3ph680F8
— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) June 20, 2017
Note: The video is graphic and many will find it disturbing.
unbelievable. #PhilandoCastillehttps://t.co/UXmTOzEEie
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) June 20, 2017
Officer withheld from investigators the fact that Philando Castile said out loud he was not reaching for his gun https://t.co/qVVHDrZnce
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) June 20, 2017
At 01:48 you can actually hear Philando Castile, who's been shot, scream and tell Officer Yanez: "I wasn't reaching" https://t.co/WZg4mHKQYO
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) June 20, 2017
This is horrific. How is it possible this police officer was acquitted? All should be outraged re: Philando Castile. https://t.co/Z9ijeP3NJ7
— Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) June 20, 2017
Awful & baffling to me that anyone could see the Philando Castile video and *not* conclude that he was murdered. #PhilandoCastile
— Niall Stanage (@NiallStanage) June 20, 2017
I just saw dashcam footage from the Philando Castile shooting. how is that cop not guilty? He panicked & killed an innocent man. #injustice
— Michael Burgi (@michaelburgi) June 20, 2017
Recommended
Just saw the video of #PhilandoCastile shooting. Horrific. Disgusting. It is beyond words.
— Tony Katz (@tonykatz) June 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/astridtv1/status/877284303423635457
How can one see the dashcam video and think the #PhilandoCastile verdict is just? It is abhorrent.
— ????? ????? (@martyduren) June 20, 2017
The lack of a guilty verdict for Philando Castile's killer is enraging. https://t.co/pAIIbNBmxM
— chris carlson (@ccarlsononSU) June 20, 2017
Not asking rhetorically: how does a jury watch this footage of Philando Castile being killed and vote to acquit? https://t.co/gTN2KjF3ic
— Robyn Urback (@RobynUrback) June 20, 2017
Horrifying to listen to cop going from calmly explaining Castile has broken brake light to shooting him w/in 30 secs https://t.co/QXtKyyKkgG
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) June 20, 2017
What's horrifying is "not guilty" #PhilandoCastile
— Charles Adler (@charlesadler) June 20, 2017
No clue from this tape how the cop wasn't convicted https://t.co/bC2ea6CZcF
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 20, 2017
Wow, Ben agrees with me and @ShaunKing that Yanez should have been convicted of killing #PhilandoCastile? https://t.co/UVe3QKahow
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) June 20, 2017
I can only speculate that the cop was convincing on the stand. Truly unacceptable though.
— Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley) June 20, 2017
I don't have the words to describe this video. https://t.co/BNcHKbXVuQ
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 20, 2017
That #PhilandoCastile dashcam footage scares the shit out of me. He didn't even have a chance.
— caleb truax (@GoldenCalebT) June 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/ellisonbarber/status/877291908820807680
Just saw the #PhilandoCastile dash cam video. How in the actual *curse word* did that jury not find the officer guilty of anything?! ???
— Austin Null (@AustinNull) June 20, 2017
Not surprisingly, many are using the video as political leverage against the NRA and denouncing the NRA for not issuing a statement. The NRA did issue this statement last July:
The reports from #Minnesota are troubling and must be thoroughly investigated. #2A #NRA pic.twitter.com/Z7wEQNBs0y
— NRA (@NRA) July 8, 2016
* * *
Related:
‘Every concealed carrier’s worst nightmare’: Officer acquitted in shooting death of Philando Castile https://t.co/itl3AnRaog
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 16, 2017
Join the conversation as a VIP Member