June 26 (UPI) — The mother of Philando Castile, who was fatally shot by a Minnesota police officer in 2016, agreed to a $3 million settlement, lawyers announced Monday.
Castile, 32, was shot during a traffic stop in St. Anthony, Minn., by Officer Jeronimo Yanez. The shooting was in the national spotlight as Castile’s girlfriend, a passenger in the car, live-streamed the shooting on Facebook. Her 4-year-old daughter was also in the car.
Yanez, 29, was acquitted on June 15 of manslaughter and discharge of a firearm, prompting several days of protests. Yanez was fired from the St. Anthony police force.
A statement from the government, and from lawyers on both sides of the case, was released Monday. It said in part, “The death of Philando Castile is a tragedy for his family and for our community. 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.”
The statement added that Valerie Castile will be paid though insurance funds, and that “no taxpayer monies” are involved.
