Jury for officer who shot Castile ends Day 4 without verdict

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Minnesota jury ended its fourth day of deliberations Thursday without a verdict in the manslaughter trial of a police officer who killed a black motorist.

Officer Jeronimo Yanez shot 32-year-old Philando Castile during a traffic stop last July 6 in a St. Paul suburb. Yanez, who is Latino, fired seconds after Castile informed the officer that he was carrying a gun. Castile had a permit for the firearm.

Yanez testified Castile was pulling the gun out against his instructions and he feared for his life. Prosecutors insist Yanez never saw a gun and had plenty of options short of shooting Castile, an elementary school cafeteria worker they say was never a threat. Witness testified that the gun was in the pocket of Castile’s shorts when paramedics pulled him from the vehicle.

Jurors began deliberations after hearing closing arguments on Monday. Thursday’s deliberations passed quietly, with no sudden hearings or requests to review evidence. On Wednesday, the apparently deadlocked jury was summoned to court by the judge and told to keep deliberating.