Philando Castile, killed earlier in the week in police action, had been pulled over at least 52 times in recent years in and around the Twin Cities and given citations for minor offenses including speeding and driving without a muffler. Was Castile an especially bad driver or just unlucky? Or was he targeted by officers who single out black motorists like him for such stops? Castile’s stop for a broken tail light Wednesday ended with him fatally shot by a suburban St. Paul police officer and his girlfriend live-streaming the chilling aftermath.
Meanwhile, a Minnesota prosecutor, John Choi, said on Friday he has asked for a “prompt and thorough investigation” into the killing. The school cafeteria supervisor was shot “for no apparent reason” while reaching for his wallet during a traffic stop, his girlfriend had said in the video. — AP