Philando Castile

What’s the issue? On July 6th, 2016, Philando Castile was shot and killed by a police officer after being stopped for a broken tail light. Castile informed the officer that he was was carrying a licensed firearm, and then was shot seven times as he reached for his wallet. Castile’s girlfriend and her four-year-old daughter were also in the car at the time of the shooting. On June 16th, 2017, Jeronimo Yanez, the  officer who shot Castile, was acquitted of all charges related to the shooting, including second-degree manslaughter and endangering safety.

Why do I care? Although his race shouldn’t matter, Philando Castile was black, and his death falls squarely into an unacceptable pattern of police violence against black Americans. Black people in the United States are twice as likely to be killed by the police as white people, and they are less likely to have been armed or attacking when they are killed. In 2016, 266 black people were killed by the police. Of those who were killed and unarmed, 34% were black males, even though black males make up only 6% of the population. Black people are also more likely to be stopped by the police in the United Sates than white people, and it is more likely that police will use non-lethal force with black people when they are stopped. There are many theories as to why black people are so disproportionately harmed by the police, from police bias to a higher number of interactions between black people and the police to more aggressive policing tactics in black neighborhoods. Whatever the reason, however, the outcome is clearly unacceptable.

I am not saying that every killing of a black person by the police is unwarranted or unjust. However, we cannot rely on the courts to help distinguish when a wrong has been committed and deal out the appropriate punishment. As Matthew Segal eloquently argues in this opinion piece published in the Guardian, our courts and established legal precedents are also part of the puzzle that enables this police behavior. In 1996, the case Whren v. United States held that police officers can use any violation, however small, to stop people they deem suspicious. This decision has enabled racial profiling and may help explain why Philando Castile had been stopped by the police 46 times before his death. Two other problematic rulings, Graham v. Connor (1989) and Tennessee v. Garner (1985), hold that police officers can use serious force whenever they reasonably fear for their safety without being charged with using excessive force. These may have helped lead to the decision that if Yanez thought Castile may have been reaching for a gun, he was authorized to fire on Castile.

The good news is that there are many things we can all do right now to help turn the tide on these injustices. They may be small acts, but we all have a duty to do what we can to fight against an America where you are more likely to be killed by those who have sworn to protect based on the color of your skin.

What you can do if you care too:

1. If there is a protest or vigil scheduled in your city, show-up to show your support. A Harvard study shows that protesting can help build political movements that can lead to effective policy change.
2. Post, write, and talk about the ruling to those around you. Even “hashtag activism” plays a key role in raising awareness.
3. Contact your Congresspeople and urge them to support programs that reduce        police violence including training officers to reduce implicit bias, reducing encounters between the police and people for minor infractions, and stopping the criminalization of low level offenses.
4. Remember that your Congresspeople are not your only elected officials and participate in your local elections. See a list of local election dates and deadlines here and sign up for Rock the Vote’s election reminders here.
5. If you see a black person stopped by the police, stay and film the encounter. It is legal to film the police in public spaces, although they may ask you to stop.
6. Work to identify and eliminate racial bias in your own life. Here are some suggestions for how to start.
7. Teach children to identify and condemn racial bias. Here are some suggestions.
8. Donate to the ACLU, which fights on behalf of many of the issues I’ve outlined above.

 

Cover image by Inventorchris from Flickr.