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Gov. Mark Dayton said he had a “profound” and “difficult" meeting Wednesday afternoon with African American leaders to discuss last week’s acquittal of the police officer who shot Philando Castile.

public release of a graphic dashcam video

 of the fatal traffic stop. St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez shot Castile after he said he had a gun.

Dayton said he was shocked and pained by the recording showing Yanez rapidly firing seven shots into the car. He said others in the meeting shared similar feelings.

"We really found we needed time just to be processing, discussing individual feelings about what we'd all witnessed," said Dayton.

Minneapolis Urban League president Steven Belton said there’s much hurt and anger in the community about the verdict.

"What I witnessed was a 21st century execution or lynching. That's what it looked like to me. And it dredged up all of those old cultural images, all of those old photographs, all of that old narrative became real and raw," said Belton. "Now you may have seen something different, but I'm speaking for what I saw, and for what people who I am in contact with and who we represent, what we saw."

But Belton said there is also hope for making changes. He vowed to move forward and as he put it "turn this tragedy into transformation."

Dayton said they will meet again to discuss ways to help Minnesota heal.

“I hope in my last 18 months to find a way that I can be constructive in encouraging people to listen to one another, to share their truths and to move beyond where we are now and move forward and find a way we can bring Minnesota better together," said Dayton.

Politics and Government News

Capitol View®

Tim Pugmire

Author

The governor met Wednesday afternoon with African American leaders to discuss last week’s acquittal of the police officer who shot Philando Castile.

Dayton: ‘Profound,’ ‘difficult’ meeting after Castile dashcam video

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