Lawyer of Officer Who Shot Castile Says Race Not a Factor in Case

A lawyer for the police officer who fatally shot Philando Castile said the officer’s reaction “had nothing to do with race,” NBC News repotted. 

In a statement to NBC News Saturday, Jeronimo Yanez's attorney said he is “cooperating with law enforcement” and is “deeply saddened” for Castile’s family. 

"This case has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the presence of a gun. Again, it has nothing to do with race, it has everything to do with the presence of a gun,” said Minneapolis attorney Thomas Kelly. 

Yanez, of the St. Anthony Police Department, was placed on administrative leave, along with his partner Joseph Kauser, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the shooting, said. 

Castile, 32, was killed Wednesday during a routine traffic stop in Falcon Hills. Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, recorded the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook Live.

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