Philando Castile’s Family Produces A Copy Of His Gun Permit

The family of Philando Castile, the man who was shot and killed by police officer last week in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, has made public a copy of his license to carry a firearm.

Philando Castile was shot by during a traffic stop on July 6th in front of his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her daughter. Philando Castile was a beloved elementary school cafeteria supervisor who reportedly had memorized the names and allergies of all of the students he served.

After Reynolds’ live stream of the shooting went viral, protesters occupied the Governor’s mansion in St. Paul. The next day, Governor Dayton acknowledged the racial bias in policing and asked, “Would this have happened if the driver were white, if the passengers were white? I don’t think it would have.”

Castile was shot after he informed officers that he had a permit to carry. Because the permit was issued in Hennepin County, where gun permits are not considered to be public record, his family had to go through the sheriff’s office to obtain documentation. The paperwork shows that Castile received his permit on June 4, 2015.

The officer who killed Castile, Officer Jeronimo Yanez, has been placed on administrative leave. His lawyer claims Yanez had mistaken Castile for a robbery suspect.

(via CBS Minnesota)