Prosecutors may wrap up their case Thursday against a Minnesota police officer charged with manslaughter in the death of a black motorist.
The defense called an expert Thursday who testified that Yanez used "justifiable deadly force" in shooting Castile, who had informed him that he was carrying a gun.
Part of Yanez's defense was highlighting that THC - the active chemical in marijuana - had been found in Castile's system after his death; therefore, Castile was high during the traffic stop and culpable for his fate.
Yanez's fate rests in the hands of a jury who will deliberate at the close of the trial. Despite the disclosure, Yanez reacted by shooting him.
According to the transcripts of the video of the incident, Castile responded by saying, "I'm not reaching for it".
Dutton said Yanez proceeded to exercise sound judgment when he pulled Castile over to further investigate his identity after determining the driver had a broken taillight.
"He didn't tell me where the (expletive) gun was", Yanez said, according to the Associated Press.
A Minnesota police officer charged with manslaughter in a black motorist's death is explaining how he came to pull the man's vehicle over.
"You didn't say (Castile) grabbed a gun", Dusterhoft said.
Yanez has said he was justified in stopping Castile's auto because he resembled a suspect in a convenience store robbery, court documents said.
When Yanez approached the auto, he says he smelled marijuana.
St. Anthony officer Jeronimo Yanez says he saw Philando Castile's gun before opening fire.
Yanez testified Friday that he told Castile not to reach for his gun and Castile continued to pull it out of his pocket.
Yanez testified Friday that he saw Castile's hand on the gun.
The Minnesota police officer on trial for the murder of a black motorist during a traffic stop past year, the aftermath of which was streamed on social media by the driver's girlfriend, is expected to say on Friday that he feared for his life.
Officer Jeronimo Yanez is charged with manslaughter in the death of Philando Castile.
Kapelsohn couched his opinion by saying ultimately it would be up to the jury to decide if Yanez was telling the truth about actually seeing Castile's hand on the gun during the traffic stop. He added it would be reasonable to assume Castile's plan was to fire the weapon.
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After Castile was stopped, Yanez asked him to present his driver's license and insurance card.
As he wrapped up his remarks, Kapelsohn said provided that Yanez did see the gun, he did what "every reasonable officer in the country would have done".
Prosecutor Rick Dusterhoft asked Yanez about a statement to investigators where he said he saw the barrel of the gun before he fired. Specifically, he asked why Yanez first said to a police supervisor who interviewed him at the scene that he didn't know where the gun was.
"I told him, 'Don't pull it out, '" Yanez testified in court.
Her video went viral, sparking protests both locally and nationally about police use of force, particularly against black men.
When he saw the metal of the gun, Yanez told the jury, "my family popped into my head".
The shooting in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights during a traffic stop, like similar incidents across the United States, fueled public debate about appropriate use of force by law enforcement against minorities. The 32-year-old cafeteria worker had a permit for the weapon.
But prosecutor Jeffrey Paulsen questioned Dutton's analysis by asking him to explain inconsistencies in Yanez's statements.
Emanuel Kapelsohn was the second such expert in two days called by attorneys for Officer Jeronimo Yanez.
The St. Anthony police officer began to cry. Prosecutors have portrayed Castile as being cooperative when he volunteered to Yanez early during the stop, "Sir, I have to tell you, I do have a firearm on me".
Kapelsohn, a firearms instructor to police for 37 years, said the situation escalated when Castile reached for something. Kapelsohn says that was a moderate response.
Yanez responded, "OK, don't reach for it then", followed by, "Don't pull it out", according to the squad auto recording.
Kapelsohn said three-eighths of inch of the butt of the gun was left below the lip of the pocket.
Yanez who is Latino, had worked for the St. Anthony Police Department for almost five years when he pulled Castile's vehicle over.
On Friday - three days after Reynolds took the stand - Yanez confronted jurors, his family and Castile's family in a packed courtroom and described the thoughts and emotions he experienced after pulling Castile over for a broken taillight, learning that a firearm was in the auto and allegedly seeing Castile reach for the gun.
Yanez said he felt he had no choice but to shoot.
Whether Yanez saw the gun is a key issue.



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