THE MINNESOTA POLICE officer who fatally shot 32-year-old African American Philando Castile, in an incident caught in video footage that shocked the US, was charged yesterday with second-degree manslaughter.

Officer Jeronimo Yanez was also charged with two felony counts of intentional discharge of a dangerous weapon, for endangering the safety of Castile’s girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her four-year-old daughter. Both were in the car when the officer shot Castile during a traffic stop.

The 6 July shooting was partially captured on video recorded by Reynolds and broadcast on Facebook Live, sparking protests across the United States. In it Castile can be seen bleeding to death in the driver’s seat.

His last words, revealed by authorities, were “I wasn’t reaching for it” – referring to the gun he had informed the officer that he legally carried with a permit.

“Based upon our thorough and exhaustive review of the facts of this case, it is my conclusion that the use of deadly force by Officer Yanez was not justified, and that sufficient facts exist to prove this to be true,” said John Choi, the Ramsey County Attorney whose office is prosecuting the case.

*Warning: This video may upset some viewers*

Castile’s shooting shocked the nation, coming just a day after a graphic video of another police shooting of an African-American man in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Both incidents further exposed the tensions between US police and African-Americans, triggering Black Lives Matter protests throughout the country.

‘A loud message’

Castile’s family said at a news conference Wednesday that it was supportive of the prosecution, including the decision to charge the officer not with murder, but with a lesser manslaughter charge, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

“The worst thing that can happen is that the officer is overcharged, and he is found not to be responsible for those charges,” said Glenda Hatchett, a television personality and former judge who is the family’s lawyer.

“We are intending for this case to send a loud message that things must change in this country,” said Hatchett, adding that the family was also planning a civil lawsuit.

“We all hope and pray that the right thing is done,” Castile’s mother Valerie said.

Yanez is expected to turn himself in tomorrow, when he will make his first appearance in criminal court.

© AFP, 2016

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