Mourners watch as the casket of Philando Castile is placed on a horse-drawn carriage after his funeral service Thursday, July 14, 2016, at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in St. Paul, Minn. “What had he done?” He was respected by many. “Philando deserves that much respect!”
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Heil says it’s been hard to explain death, but also hard to rationalize how police could kill their friend but still be considered a trusted group of people.
Castile was shot several times by a suburban St. Paul officer during a July 6 traffic stop.
Castile was shot and killed by an officer during a traffic stop last week.
Valerie Castile stressed that her son got his permit because he had a right to carry a weapon not because he felt his life was in danger.
“I’m just amazed at how many people care about Philando and care about what happened to him”, Clarence Castile said as he looked out at the crowded cathedral. Other sported T-shirts with the victim’s picture or messages like “RIP Philando”. President Obama held a town hall style forum last night to discuss some of the deeply rooted issues that the US faces when it comes to race. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison and St. Paul city leaders were among the more than 1,500 people on hand.
“We can’t continue to survive if things don’t change”, Daniels said. Father John Ubel, the rector, who is a Pope Francis-appointed missionary of mercy, presided over the ecumenical service, which followed an adapted form of the Catholic funeral rite outside of the Mass. Castile’s girlfriend streamed the aftermath live on Facebook and said Castile was shot while reaching for his ID after telling the officer he had a gun permit and was armed. On Wednesday, the 15-year-old was quiet and composed, calling for calm.
Daniels made a point of praising the police and asking the audience to applaud law enforcement for its service.
He said they are grateful to the men and women who “help and protect us” when we need them. “We’re all in this together”.
The lawyers for the officer say the cop reacted to the presence of a gun not Castile’s race, yet Castile’s family lawyer Glenda Hatchet vows to file a federal lawsuit, and has also sent documentation to the Hennepin County sheriff’s office which permitted Castile to carry a gun.
He received the state-mandated instruction in May 2015 at Total Defense in Ramsey, Minn., The Associated Press reported.
“Most of the time, he did the same”, the 23-year-old woman said of her brother.
The public service for the St. Paul man lasted about 90 minutes at the house of worship, which sits high upon a hill on the edge of the capital city’s downtown. Students are briefed on handling all possible encounters with police – including traffic stops.
National Basketball Association stars opened Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles with a solemn statement about the “current state of America”, including the shootings of Castile and Sterling – and last week’s ambush that killed five officers at a Dallas protest.
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“It saddens me that she won’t be able to, you know”, Rachel said as she held back tears. “It’s a huge loss for St. Paul schools”.
