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Officials in the city of St. Anthony are planning to meet in a closed-door session Tuesday to discuss a possible settlement with Diamond Reynolds, the girlfriend of 

, a 32-year-old man shot to death by a police officer during a traffic stop 

Reynolds and her 4-year-old daughter were in the car when Castile was pulled over in the city of Falcon Heights on July 6, 2016. St. Anthony Officer Jeronimo Yanez opened fire 

 after Castile, who had a permit to carry, disclosed that he had a firearm. Reynolds 

 
St. Anthony city manager Mark Casey said officials have been in touch with Reynolds' attorney about potential litigation, although she has not yet filed a lawsuit. Any final decision about a settlement with Reynolds will need to be made in the city council's public meeting.

 across the Twin Cities and led to charges against Yanez. A jury this summer found Yanez 

 of manslaughter and dangerous discharge of a firearm.
 

 with St. Anthony in June for $2.995 million, which was disbursed to his mother Valerie Castile.
 


Attorney Robert Bennett, who represented Castile's family but is not representing Reynolds, said she has some possible grounds for a lawsuit, but that it isn't as clear-cut as the Castile family's case.


 
"It's a chapter that the city should want in the rearview mirror," Bennett said, "but cities don't always make the right decision."
 

St. Anthony is covered by an insurance policy with the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust. But the June settlement with Castile's family almost maxed out the policy, leaving just $5,000 in remaining coverage for this incident. The city would need to cover any settlement that exceeds that amount.
 

As a result of claims related to Castile's death, St. Anthony's premiums for the insurance plan will increase by about $12,000 for each of the next three years, according to claims manager Darin Richardson.

 
Following his acquittal, Yanez agreed to voluntarily leave the St. Anthony Police Department. He received a payout of $48,500, as well as payment for any unused personal leave up to 600 hours.
 

Reynolds' attorney didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Crime, Law and Justice

Jon Collins

Author

Riham Feshir

St. Anthony city manager Mark Casey said officials have been in touch with Reynolds' attorney about potential litigation, although she has not yet filed a lawsuit.

St. Anthony to consider settlement with Diamond Reynolds

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