Philando Castile’s family awarded $3mn in out-of-court settlement

The family of Philando Castile, the school cafeteria worker fatally shot by Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez, has reached a $3 million settlement with the city of St. Anthony.

Castile was shot and killed during a traffic stop last July while his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her four-year-old daughter were in the car.

Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter and intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety earlier in June.

The family’s legal team announced plans to file a civil lawsuit against the city last week, but a settlement has now been reached.

Valerie Castile will receive a $2.995 million payment from the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, which holds St. Anthony’s insurance policy. The settlement requires state court approval, which could take several weeks, the Washington Post reports. 

"The death of Philando Castile is a tragedy for his family and for our community," Castile’s lawyers and the City of St. Anthony wrote in a joint statement.

"The parties moved expeditiously to resolve potential civil claims resulting from this tragedy in order to allow the process of healing to move forward for the Castile family, for the people of St. Anthony Village, and for all those impacted by the death of Philando Castile throughout the United States," the statement read.

Reynolds streamed the immediate aftermath of Castile’s shooting on Facebook, which was watched by millions and brought international attention to Castile’s death.

The video also sparked protests across the US as people reacted to another black person wrongfully killed by police.

“The City and the Trustee were able to reach this agreement avoiding a federal civil rights lawsuit which may have taken years to work its way through the courts exacerbating the suffering of the family and of the community,” the statement read.

The settlement comes a week after the family of teenager Michael Brown killed by police in 2014 received a settlement in a wrongful death suit brought against the city of Ferguson, Missouri.

"No amount of money could ever replace Philando. With resolution of the claims the family will continue to deal with their loss through the important work of the Philando Castile Relief Foundation."

The Philando Castile Relief Foundation will help victims of gun violence and their families.