Note: The Northeaster was due on press shortly after a civil settlement with the Castile family was announced; this article reflects reaction to the June 16 criminal court verdict.
Anger, grief, and outrage were the most visible, though not universal, reactions to the acquittal of Jeronimo Yanez, the St. Anthony police officer who killed Philando Castile in Falcon Heights last year.
After five days of deliberation a jury on June 16 found Yanez not guilty of a second-degree manslaughter charge, and not guilty of two counts of endangerment with a firearm, the endangerment charges reflecting the fact that Castile’s girlfriend and her daughter were also in the car when Castile was shot.
Soon after the verdict, a statement issued by the City of St. Anthony announced that “the public will be best served if Officer Yanez is no longer a police officer in our city.”
On Monday, June 26, the City and Valerie Castile, Philando’s mother, announced a nearly $3 million settlement, avoiding a potentially years-long federal civil rights lawsuit that would “exacerbate the suffering of the family and of the community.” The statement is on the city website, savmn.com.
The joint statement said in part, “No amount of money could ever replace Philando. With resolution of the claims the family will continue to deal with their loss through the important work of the Philando Castile Relief Foundation.”
The settlement is subject to approval by a state court, which could mean several more weeks of uncertainty.
Somber Statehouse protest
A peaceful demonstration at the State Capitol the Friday evening the verdict was announced drew about 2,000 people at its height. The protest transitioned into a march down University and eventual occupation of I-94 in both directions. TV and print media reported 18 peaceful arrests and no injuries.
The mood on the Capitol steps was somber, with flashes of anger and disappointment. Many people seemed drained or in shock; some wiped away tears. “Heartbreaking,” said St. Anthony East resident and First Christian Church pastor Laurie Pound Feille, who attended with her husband, Bryan Feille. “The injustice of it” led Northeast residents Carolyn Disch and Stephanie Hazen to join the protest, bringing along their young daughter.
At the microphone, decrying the verdict was coupled with a call for broader change. Community Activist Mel Reeves addressed the crowd. “This system does not work. … We have to create a society where police will treat us like human beings.”
Activist and Minneapolis mayoral candidate Nekima Levy-Pounds said, “We have the right to feel outrage. We have the right to grieve. We have the right to gather at the seat of power and ask for justice.”
John Thompson, friend of Philando Castile showed anger and grief as he spoke. “Minnesota is NOT nice,” he yelled. “You murdered my friend. You murdered my friend,” he repeated, at one point weeping as he held the microphone.
While most of the speakers were people of color, the majority of those attending the demonstration were white. A white woman in the midst of a sea of white faces held a sign that said “End white supremacy now.” A white marcher’s sign read “How long will white people keep trying to justify the murder of black people?” Many people of all races held signs that showed the word “Shame” on the Minnesota license plate.
At least six members of St. Anthony Villagers for Community Action (SAVCA) were present at the Capitol and two served as protest marshals. The group formed after the shooting to promote racial equity in St. Anthony, and members have allied themselves with other social justice groups and leaders throughout the metro area.
“What they thought was correct”
Northeast and St. Anthony residents who felt that the jury did their job were less outspoken, some even nervous about speaking their opinions about the verdict.
“It’s kind of scary to have any opinion that isn’t negative, because the negative opinions are so much more vocal.” said Northeast resident Tasha McFarland, who has two children in the St. Anthony district.
“We have to believe that they (the jury) know more than we do, and … they did what they thought was best given the information they had access to,” McFarland said.
“Regardless of our personal opinion on the case, none of us were on that jury, which was given definite instructions on the law. I think they did what they thought was correct with the evidence and guidelines that they had, said Cyndy Mezzenga, a 31-year resident of St. Anthony, in a message.
Mezzenga said that she and her neighbors have been affected by the shooting: “Living in this awesome community, we have been rather sheltered from struggle in the real world, and this hit so close to home that it really made an impact on many of us, made me personally more aware of how things and people are viewed.”
Students struggle to understand
A group of about 15 St. Anthony middle school and high school students, many students of color, met with school staff and a couple of community members to discuss their reactions to the verdict on the Monday after it was announced.
Amy Kujawski, instructional and equity coach for the district, used the words “hurting,” “fearful,” and “sad” in describing the feelings of the students at the meeting. They had questions about the complexities of the trial court system and law, and had trouble understanding how the shooting death could be lawful, she said.
Kujawski said that it has been an especially rough year for students of color in the district, with the shooting, the closing of Lowry Grove, the political climate and anti-immigrant attitudes, and now the verdict, all on top of the everyday racism they face.
“Their grief should propel us – our teachers and the community – to work harder at anti-racism efforts,” she said. The students, many members of the middle school’s Diversity Student Leadership Group and the high school’s Dare 2 B Real group, decided it was important to meet every other week during the summer.
Father’s Day protest
Among the 200 protesters who showed up for a Father’s Day demonstration in St. Anthony were families with young children.
“We believe that justice wasn’t served in this case in particular, and we especially believe in teaching our children that it’s important to speak up when something is not right. So on Father’s Day, we decided it was a good opportunity to teach them well,” said Angie from New Brighton. She was there with her husband and two young children.
After listening to demonstration organizers and John Thompson, the protesters marched up Silver Lake Road, formed a circle at the intersection of 37th Avenue NE and Silver Lake Road, then marched through the Silver Lake Village shopping center, sitting down at an intersection for about 10 minutes.
On their way back to City Hall down Silver Lake Road, they once again formed a circle at 37th Avenue and there, Castile’s sister, Allysza Castile, spoke to the protesters.
Roseville and St. Anthony police, along with officers from the Ramsey County Sherriff’s Department provided the security for the demonstration. One confrontation was defused, between protesters and a man in a pickup, and a motorist gunned his engine backing up to avoid the protesters.
Signs and speeches at the St. Anthony demonstration expressed anger at the possibility of St. Anthony taxpayers bearing the cost of the separation agreement with Yanez.
St. Anthony Police Chief Jon Mangseth and City Manager Mark Casey were not willing to comment on the planned separation agreement with Yanez nor how it likely would be funded. Casey did say, when asked, that the total shooting-related costs to the city had been $650,000 to date.
Mangseth said he appreciated that the Father’s Day protest was peaceful, in keeping with past protests in St. Anthony. Responding to a question, he explained the city’s efforts to keep both protesters and community safe include not only securing the police detail, but also having firefighters and EMS responders on the ready in case of medical emergency. Public works teams also are needed to set up and take down the barricades.
The settlement with the Castile family would be paid through the City’s coverage with the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, not by taxpayers.
Below: Many white allies attended the protest at the Capitol, among growing numbers of white people using their privilege, affluence, and influence to work for racial equity. Signs and sentiments not only expressed distress at the verdict, but also called for broader change in judicial and societal systems. Allysza Castile, Philando Castile’s sister, speaks to the demonstrators as protest organizer Corydon Nilsson looks on. John Thompson, a friend of Philando Castile, leads the protesters in front of St. Anthony City Hall. Lower right, Sandi Sherman, a member of St. Anthony Villagers for Community Action, served as a marshal at the demonstration at the State Capitol. (Photos by Karen Kraco)
