Jeronimo Yanez
DEFENDANT: The 29-year-old St. Anthony police officer pulled Castile over July 6, 2016, after telling his partner that the driver looked like a suspect in a recent armed robbery. Yanez, who is Latino, became a licensed police officer in 2011 and joined the St. Anthony police about five years ago. He has no complaints sustained in his personnel file. His criminal record includes two misdemeanor-level traffic citations. Yanez was placed on administrative leave after the shooting. He is married and he and his wife have a young child.
Philando Castile
MOTORIST KILLED: The 32-year-old man, who was black, was fatally shot by Yanez during a brief traffic stop in Falcon Heights. He was a longtime employee of St. Paul Public Schools, working as a nutrition services supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School at the time of his death. Castile’s record includes mostly traffic citations, aside from one misdemeanor conviction for public nuisance. His driving offenses include driving with a revoked license, failing to wear a seatbelt, and parking where signs prohibit it. He had a permit to carry a firearm, which he had with him when Yanez pulled him over.
Joseph Kauser
THE PARTNER: Jeronimo Yanez’s partner at the St. Anthony police department. Yanez alerted him via radio about his intentions to pull Castile over. Kauser accompanied Yanez to Castile’s car after the stop was made. He was on the passenger side of the vehicle while Yanez was at the driver’s-side door when the shooting took place. He is among those expected to testify during the trial.
Diamond Reynolds
KEY WITNESS: Reynolds was Castile’s longtime girlfriend. The 27-year-old was in the passenger seat when Castile was stopped. Her daughter, who was 4 at the time, was in the backseat. Reynolds live-streamed the shooting’s immediate aftermath on Facebook. The footage drew attention to the incident from across the country and helped spark protests locally and nationally about police officers’ use of force against black men. Reynolds was charged with second-degree assault for an unrelated incident this past February. That case is pending and her attorneys have said she is innocent of the allegations. The incident is not expected to come up during Yanez’s trial. Reynolds will be a key witness for the state.
Defense team
Earl Gray, Paul Engh and Thomas Kelly will represent Yanez at trial.
Prosecution team
Assistant Ramsey County attorneys Richard Dusterhoft and Clayton Robinson Jr. and federal prosecutor Jeffrey Paulsen represent the state.
The judge
Ramsey County District Judge William H. Leary III will preside over Yanez’s trial, following a motion by defense attorneys seeking to replace Judge Edward Wilson, who is black. Leary is white. Leary, appointed in 2002 by Gov. Jesse Ventura, has been elected in 2004, 2010 and 2016.