Source: Stephen Maturen / Getty
Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile—the unarmed Black 32-year-old who was killed by a Minnesota police officer during a traffic stop last year—has reached a $3 million settlement with the city of St. Anthony, Minnesota, reports The Associated Press. The settlement comes about a week after Officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted on all charges in Castile’s death, sparking widespread protest—including one in St. Paul that reportedly caused I-94 to be shut down for hours, according to AP.
“The death of Philando Castile is a tragedy for his family and for our community,” a statement from the city and lawyers says. “The parties moved expeditiously to resolve potential civil claims resulting from this tragedy in order to allow the process of healing to move forward for the Castile family, for the people of St. Anthony Village, and for all those impacted by the death of Philando Castile throughout the United States.”
As we previously reported, on July 6, 2016, Yanez fired seven shots at Castile, who’d informed the officer he was traveling with a registered handgun. Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Richards, was seated in the passenger seat and began a Facebook Live video documenting the moments after the fatal shooting. Her four-year-old daughter was in the back seat at the time of the shooting.
“No amount of money could ever replace Philando,” the statement continues. “With resolution of the claims the family will continue to deal with their loss through the important work of the Philando Castile Relief Foundation.”
