Editor’s note: Video contains graphic footage that some may find upsetting.
Police dashcam footage of the fatal shooting of Philando Castile by St. Anthony, Minn., Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez has been released to the public.
According to Patch.com, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension made its case file, which included the footage, public Tuesday. And quite frankly, it’s fucking hard to watch.
In the video, it is possible to catch most of the conversation that goes on between Yanez and Castile seconds before the fatal shots were fired, providing perspective on what happened leading up to the shooting, before Castile’s final breaths were livestreamed by his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds on Facebook Live.
Quite frankly, it doesn’t change a d**n thing in my mind. And quite frankly, it makes the verdict that much harder to swallow.
In the video, Yanez can be heard asking Castile for his license and insurance while explaining that his brake lights don’t seem to be working properly. Castile says something inaudible, but movement can be seen in the car, and then Castile hands his documents to Yanez.
Shortly afterward, Castile can be heard saying, “Sir, I have to tell you I do have a firearm on me.”
Instantly, Yanez’s tone changes.
“OK, don’t reach for it, then; don’t pull it out,” he responds as his hand starts to go toward his holster.
“I’m not pulling it out,” Castile says. Castile continues to try to speak, but what he said cannot be made out because Yanez is speaking over him.
And then, suddenly, Yanez pulls his service weapon from the holster, puts his hand into the driver’s-side window of the vehicle and fires off several shots.
Reynolds can be heard screaming in the background, “You just killed my boyfriend!”
“Don’t pull it out! Don’t move!” Yanez screams, although it is not clear if he thinks that the now severely wounded Castile was capable of causing any harm.
“F**k!” Yanez screams, still pointing his weapon into the car. “Don’t move!”
“Don’t move, baby,” Reynolds says to her daughter, presumably.
Yanez then screams into his walkie-talkie, asking for a medic and saying that shots were fired.
Throughout the ordeal, Yanez can be heard gasping as he attempts to control his emotions. Reynolds can be heard speaking as well, presumably making the recording that went viral on Facebook Live. She eventually exits the car, upon instructions, with her hands up and walks backward toward another officer.
Eventually more officers arrive on the scene. Yanez is still heard gasping for breath and screaming at random intervals. He can be heard claiming that Castile had his hand on his weapon.
“F**k!” he screams again as officers attempt to pull Castile’s body out of the vehicle.
Another officer questions Yanez about what happened, and Yanez claims that Castile didn’t tell him where the gun was and that he began to get “f****ng nervous.”
Officers then begin to attempt chest compressions, but we all know how that ends.
Castile dies, and his killer eventually walks free without any repercussions.