Police Officers Involved in the Shooting Death of Philando Castile Identified
— -- Police officers Jeronimo Yanez and Joseph Kauser have been identified as the two Minnesota officers involved with Wednesday's shooting death of Philando Castile, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).
Both officers have been with the St. Anthony Police Department for four years and are both on administrative leave, according to a statement released by BCA Thursday night.
The statement continues: "At approximately 9:05 p.m. Wednesday, the two St. Anthony police officers conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Larpenteur Avenue West and Fry Street in Falcon Heights. Castile was the driver of that vehicle. Officer Yanez approached the vehicle from the driver's side and Officer Kauser from the passenger side. At one point during the interaction, Officer Yanez discharged his weapon striking Castile multiple times. No one else was injured. A gun was recovered at the scene. Officer Yanez radioed a request for an ambulance. There were two passengers in the vehicle, Diamond Reynolds and her juvenile daughter."
The statement says Castile received medical attention until the ambulance arrived, in which he was transported to a local medical center where he was pronounced dead.
BCA said the investigation is on going as they continue conducting interviews with witnesses and have gathered several videos from the incident, including squad car video which has been collected as evidence.
"St. Anthony Police Department officers do not wear body cameras," according to the statement. "Once the investigation is complete, the BCA will turn its findings over to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office without recommendation for review under Minnesota statutes."
BCA launched an independent investigation Thursday on the officer's use of force, at the request of the St. Anthony Police Department, said Commissioner of Public Safety Mona Dohman. The Department of Justice "will continue to monitor the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation into the death of Philando Castile and stands ready to provide assistance to the Bureau as needed," the DOJ said in a statement.
Several Minnesota state officials wrote a collective letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch Thursday expressing their "sadness" over Castile's death and urged the Department of Justice to launch a full and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
