Record of man killed by police could be used at trial

Published 8:20 am Friday, May 12, 2017

ST. PAUL — Court documents show the arrest and driving record of a man fatally shot by police in a St. Paul suburb could be used by the defense when the officer who killed him goes on trial for manslaughter.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press says Philando Castile’s record is one of several exhibits attorneys want to use to defend St. Anthony Officer Jeronimo Yanez. The state could argue against its admissibility.

Yanez is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the July 6 fatal shooting in Falcon Heights. The defense also plans to use content from Diamond Reynolds’ Facebook page. She was Castile’s girlfriend who was in the car and live-streamed the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook.

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Castile, who’s black, was pulled over by Yanez, who’s Hispanic, for a broken taillight.