All of the money in the world can’t replace the life of father, son, uncle, boyfriend Philando Castile. However, the city of St. Anthony, Minnesota apparently feels as if a cash settlement could possibly ease the pain of their loved one being snuffed out by the police in front of his girlfriend and child. Today (June 26), the Star Tribune reported that the Castile family lawyers and city officials reached a nearly $3 million settlement.
The $2.995 million settlement will be paid by the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust to Valerie Castile, Philando’s mother and the family trustee.
“No amount of money could ever replace Philando,” a family representative and the city of St. Anthony said in a joint statement. “With resolution of the claims the family will continue to deal with their loss through the important work of the Philando Castile Relief Foundation.”
The settlement comes less than two weeks after officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm after killing 32-year-old black motorist Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota on July 6, 2016. Yanez shot Castile five times during a traffic stop in the St. Paul suburb, just seconds after Castile told the officer that he was carrying a gun. Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, streamed the victim’s lifeless, blood-covered body on Facebook Live, showing Yanez with his gun still pointed at Castile.
