MINNEAPOLIS _ The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has turned over its investigation of the officer-involved fatal shooting of Philando Castile to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office for charging consideration.
Castile, an African-American, was fatally shot by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez on July 6 during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minn. Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, was in the front passenger seat and live-streamed the aftermath on Facebook.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi has not decided whether he will bring the case before a grand jury to decide whether Yanez should face criminal charges, or whether he will make the call himself.
The grand jury process has come under fire by many activists, who have called for a special prosecutor to review the case. In an attempt to compromise, Choi brought in private attorney Don Lewis to help his team of prosecutors review the case.
Glenda Hatchett, an attorney who is representing Castile's mother, Valerie Castile, said she wanted to stress that they family wants to see justice in Castile's death and Yanez charged with murder.
"We have always said that we want to see a thorough investigation," she said. "If I had my druthers, I would want the prosecutor to make the decision on charges against the officer. He has discretion and I will respect his decision."
Larry Rogers Jr., who represents Reynolds, said he wasn't aware that the BCA forwarded the case to Choi's office, and that he would comment later.
Choi said in a written statement issued Wednesday that he could not provide an estimated timeline for when his office would complete its review of the BCA's investigation. He noted that the Hennepin County attorney's review of the officer-involved shooting of Jamar Clark in Minneapolis took seven weeks. In that case, County Attorney Mike Freeman didn't send the case to a grand jury and determined no charges would be filed against the two police officers involved in Clark's death.
Reached for comment Wednesday, county attorney spokesman Dennis Gerhardstein said that Choi's statement would speak for itself.
"Our office will work as efficiently as possible, while ensuring we conduct a diligent and thorough prosecution review of the BCA investigation, in order to determine what justice requires in this case," the statement said. "At this time, we are in the process of engaging national use-of-force consultants to assist in our prosecution review and evaluation of the BCA investigation. Also, it is very likely that we will be requesting further investigation from the BCA, as is typical in these types of cases."
The "engagement" of the use-of-force consultants will being Thursday, he said.
Yanez's attorney, Thomas Kelly, declined to comment. But he previously told the Star Tribune that his client cooperated with the investigation and remained distraught by the shooting.
Kelly wouldn't discuss details about the night Castile was shot, only saying Yanez reacted to the actions of the driver. He added that Yanez has not been subject to disciplinary actions during his time with the St. Anthony police department.
The City of Falcon Heights issued a statement Wednesday, saying that it had been notified that the BCA investigation had been completed.
"We are committed to an accountable and thorough review of what has happened. The city stands ready to participate fully in the next steps of ensuring that justice is served and healing can continue," the statement said.
On Sept. 21, the Falcon Heights City Council approved the formation of a city Inclusion and Policing Task Force.
"This has been a tragic event for our entire community and something that challenges us all as we move forward. The City of Falcon Heights is continuing to work with the community and others to look at issues related to the shooting and public safety," the statement said. "Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the Castile family and others impacted by what has happened."
Choi met with Castile's family on Aug. 2 to share information about how his office will proceed with its review of the case.
Hatchett said the Castile family continues to struggle through this, but she is amazed at the strength of Castile's mother and sister. Hatchett recently spent several days with Valerie Castile in Washington, D.C. She was panelist at various programs and had dinner at the Congressional Black Caucus dinner at which President Barack Obama spoke.
Valerie Castile interacted with several members of Congress, the president of the Urban League and the parents of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black Florida teenager who was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in 2012.
"Mrs. Castile continues to be a strong voice," Hatchett said. "In the midst of her unimaginable tragedy, she is very strong and courageous. She is lending an important voice in the conversation about police violence."
Hatchett was pleased about the recent charges against Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby for the Sept. 16 shooting of Terence Crutcher, another unarmed black man. Philando Castile, she said, was a gainfully employed man with no criminal history who was complying with the directive of a police officer.
