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Philando Castile Shooting: A Police Failure

By Lewis Loflin | Published May 11, 2025

On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile, a 32-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, during a traffic stop. I blame the police for this tragedy—three issues converged at the wrong time: racial profiling, marijuana use, and the context of a Black robbery suspect, all set against high Black crime rates that create tension for police.

The Incident and Police Failure

Yanez pulled Castile over for a broken taillight but claimed he resembled a robbery suspect due to his “wide-set nose.” Castile had a concealed carry permit, informed Yanez of his firearm, and was reaching for his wallet as requested. Yanez fired 7 shots within 10 seconds, hitting Castile 5 times, killing him in front of his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter. Yanez, a Hispanic officer, had documented issues—his 2015 performance review noted poor decision-making under stress, and colleagues said he often escalated minor situations. The department knew he was a problem but kept him on patrol.

The Three Converging Issues

Three factors led to this tragedy:

• Racial Profiling: Castile had 49 traffic stops in 13 years for minor violations, most dismissed. In Minnesota, Black drivers were 2.5 times more likely to be stopped than white drivers in 2015, per ACLU data. In Falcon Heights (5% Black), Black drivers were 12% of stops in 2015.
• Marijuana Use: Castile had THC in his system from smoking earlier that day, per the autopsy. Yanez smelled marijuana and said it made him fear Castile, though video shows Castile was calm and compliant, saying, “I’m not pulling it out.”
• Black Robbery Suspect Context: Yanez cited Castile resembling a robbery suspect. In Minneapolis-St. Paul, Black individuals (18% of the population) were suspects in 62% of violent crimes in 2015, per MPD data. Nationally, Black Americans (13% of the population) accounted for 37% of violent crime arrests in 2016, per FBI data.

Police Tension and Prior Shootings

High Black crime rates create tension for police. In Minnesota, Black individuals (6% of the population) were suspects in 28% of violent crimes in 2015, per BCA data. No officers were shot in Falcon Heights, but in the Twin Cities area, Mendota Heights officer Scott Patrick was killed in 2014 (10 miles away), and Minneapolis officer Jordan Davis was shot in 2015 (7 miles away), per local reports. These incidents likely heightened Yanez’s tension, but his failure to de-escalate—firing in 10 seconds despite Castile’s compliance—is on the police.

Conclusion

The Philando Castile shooting was a tragedy caused by police failure. Yanez’s biases—racial profiling, overreaction to marijuana, and fear driven by crime stats—led to an innocent man’s death. The St. Anthony Police Department knew Yanez struggled with stress but kept him on duty, and that’s where the blame lies. High Black crime rates and prior police shootings in the area added tension, but the police failed to protect Castile.