Attorney of officer who shot Castile says Yanez shaken, upset

Officer Jeronimo Yanez at Law Enforcement Memorial
Officer Jeronimo Yanez stood watch at the Law Enforcement Memorial Monument in May, 2014.
City of St. Anthony

Tom Kelly, a Minneapolis attorney representing St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez, said Yanez is shaken and upset following the shooting of Philando Castile.

Yanez shot Castile during a traffic stop on Wednesday.

Kelly said the shooting had nothing to do with race. "What drove this incident was the presence of a gun," he said. Yanez said he was reacting to the actions of Castile.

"And it's tragic that the result of that was the death of Mr. Castile."

Kelly said that he believes the report from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will demonstrate that Yanez had probable cause to pull Castile over for more than just a traffic stop, and that Yanez is cooperating with the BCA's investigation.

Kelly said that Yanez is distressed at the shooting of Castile and takes this very seriously.

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