Diamond ‘Lavish’ Reynolds broadcast live on Facebook, the aftermath of a police officer’s shooting of her partner, Philando Castile, on Wednesday night. Castile and Reynolds were driving in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, when they were reportedly pulled over for a broken tail light. Reynolds, sitting on the passenger side of the vehicle, narrates the video, which begins with “Stay here,” as Castile can be seen slumped toward the back with red blood stains on the front of his white t-shirt.
Reynolds says the police officer asked Castile for his driver’s license and that Castile informed him that he was carrying a pistol, along with a Concealed Carry Permit. According to Reynolds, when Castile went to retrieve his wallet containing his driver’s license, the police officer shot him four times. The unidentified police officer can be heard yelling and is seen pointing his gun at the driver’s side window as Reynolds pans her camera phone.
Minneapolis CBS affiliate WCCO reported that Castile died later at the Hennepin County Medical Center. Reynolds can be heard throughout the video repeating that they were stopped for a broken tail light, that the officer requested Castile’s driver license, and that Castile was shot when he went to retrieve his license for the officer. She also states on the video that he worked for St. Paul public schools and did not have a criminal record. According to Castile’s mother, he was the cafeteria supervisor at a St. Paul Montessori school.
The unidentified officer has been placed on paid administrative leave and Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting. About 200 people gathered at the scene later in the evening for a vigil and then moved to protest at the governor’s mansion in St. Paul.
In addition to Reynolds pleas that Castile remain alive, Reynold’s four-year old daughter, who was in the back seat during the entire incident, can also be heard on the video. Both Reynolds and her daughter were placed in the back of a police car, where the four-year old tells her mother, “Its okay, i’m here with you.”
Members of Black Lives Matter-Minneapolis have called on the police to release Reynolds so that she can be reunited with her family.
And properly grieve the murder of her partner.
Castile’s shooting comes less than 48 hours after that of Alton Sterling by Baton Rouge police in Louisiana. Sterling’s death was captured by at least two cell phone cameras and went viral, showing police officers tackle him, pin him to the ground, pull out their weapons and shoot him at point blank range. The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the shooting.