Philando Castile’s Mother Reaches $3M Settlement Over Son’s Shooting Death

Philando’s mother, Valerie Castile. (Credit Image: Lorie Shaull / Wikimedia)

The mother of Philando Castile, a black motorist who was killed by a Minnesota police officer last year, has reached a nearly $3m settlement in his death.

The settlement was announced on Monday by attorneys for Valerie Castile and the city of St Anthony.

The settlement avoids the drawn-out process of a federal wrongful death lawsuit stemming from Philando Castile’s death.

The 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker was killed by the St Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez during a 6 July 2016 traffic stop after Castile said he was armed. Castile had a permit for his gun.

The shooting gained widespread attention after Castile’s girlfriend livestreamed its aftermath on Facebook.

Yanez, who is Latino, was acquitted of manslaughter and other charges earlier this month. The jury’s decision prompted days of protests that continued this weekend, with marchers interrupting the Pride gay rights event in Minneapolis. One demonstration, in St Paul, shut down Interstate 94 for hours and ended with 18 arrests.

The $2.995m settlement will be paid by the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, which holds the insurance policy for the city of St Anthony. It requires approval by a state court, which could take several weeks. The statement from the city and Castile’s attorneys said no taxpayer money would be used to fund the settlement.

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