ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Latest in the manslaughter trial of a Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop (all times local):
6:40 a.m.
The attorney for a Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop says he plans to call his client to the witness stand Friday.
Defense attorney Earl Gray said Thursday after court adjourned that St. Anthony Officer Jeronimo Yanez will take the stand Friday afternoon or earlier.
Yanez is charged with manslaughter in the killing of Philando Castile in the St. Paul suburb last July.
The prosecution rested its case Thursday. The defense then called an expert who testified that Yanez justifiably used deadly force when he shot Castile. The charge against Yanez requires prosecutors to prove the officer acted recklessly and unreasonably given the situation.
Castile had a permit to carry the weapon and he told Yanez he was carrying a gun.
A key issue in the case is whether Yanez saw the gun.
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12:09 a.m.
Testimony continues Friday in the manslaughter trial of a Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist who informed him he was carrying a gun.
A defense expert testified Thursday that St. Anthony Officer Jeronimo Yanez used “justifiable deadly force” when he shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop in a St. Paul suburb last July.
Whether Yanez saw the gun is a key issue.
Prosecutors say he acted unreasonably in killing Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker who had a permit to carry the gun.
Retired police officer Joseph Dutton, who now teaches classes on the use of force, testified he’s convinced that Yanez saw the gun.
Defense attorney Earl Gray says they have several witnesses to call Friday before calling Yanez either Friday afternoon or Monday.
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