The family of Philando Castile is continuing to speak out in the wake of his senseless death at the hands of a Minnesota police officer in an effort to fight for justice.
In the family’s first televised interview since his death, Philando’s uncle Clarence Castile and mother Valerie Castille spoke openly and directly about his death and her last interaction with him. Revealing that she hasn’t watched the horrific video footage of the shooting taken by his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds, Valerie says she wants to remember her son as he was the last time he was in her presence earlier that day.
“I haven’t looked at the video because I know it’s…..not a good thing to look at. I want to remember him the way I last saw him leaving my home earlier that evening. He was upbeat.”
She went on to speak about a conversation Philando had that day with his sister about their conceal to carry permits and why his sister was hesitant to carry her gun despite her permit, fearing that police would “shoot first and ask questions later” should she find herself in a confrontation with them. She also spoke honestly about the corrupt state of the U.S. justice system and how cases of injustice against African-Americans are poorly handled. “I basically think that, these things are happening because there are no checks and balances in the justice system and that a lot of our African-American men, women and children are being executed by the police and there are no consequences.”
Both Philando’s uncle and mother also shared what happened when they initially arrived on the scene and tried to communitcate with Philando’s girlfriend Diamond. His mother also revealed that she has yet to see her son’s body to identify it because neither the hospital, nor law enforcement allowed her to see him since he was killed.
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“We couldn’t get to her to talk to her, we were stopped by the police and I asked them where was my son at. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, I just wanted to know where my son was because I didn’t want my son to die alone.”
Philando’s girlfriend Diamond also spoke out following the killings of five law enforcement officers during a peaceful protest against police brutality in Dallas on Thursday evening. “Today is not only about justice and getting justice,” she said speaking through tears. “But it’s about all of the families that have lost people. This thing that has happened in Dallas, it was not because of something that transpired in Minnesota today. This is bigger than Philando, this is bigger than Trayvon Martin, this is bigger than Sandra Bland, this is bigger than all of us. So today, I just want justice for everyone around the world, not just for my boyfriend and the good man that he was.”
Listen to Diamond’s emotional remarks in full here.
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