Aftermath of Officer-Involved #FalconHeightsShooting captured on Facebook Live (With Transcript)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaSjlXpQg2w

The aftermath of an officer-involved shooting was captured via Facebook Live in a graphic 10-minute video late Wednesday evening.

Lavish Reynolds started the video with 32-year-old Philando Castile slumped in the driver’s seat moaning after being shot by an officer. The lower half of Castile’s white shirt is soaked in blood, and his right arm appears almost unmovable.

Reynolds says they were pulled over for a broken taillight in Falcon Heights, Minn. The officer “asked [Castile] for license and registration. He told him that it was in his wallet, but he had a pistol on him because he’s licensed to carry. The officer said don’t move. As he was putting his bands back up, the officer shot him in the arm four or five times.”

A uniformed police officer is shown holding a pistol on the couple from outside the car. He can be heard saying, “I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand out.”

The 10-minute video shows Reynolds being ordered out of the car by officers. She is put in the back of a squad car in handcuffs.

She pleads “Please don’t tell me my boyfriend’s gone” followed by her 4-year-old daughter saying “It’s okay, I’m right here with you.”

Family members and friends told local media that Castile died at the hospital.

This news comes just a day after 37-year-old Alton Sterling was shot and killed in a Baton Rouge, La. parking lot after selling CDs. Video footage from The Daily Beast shows Sterling being repeatedly shot by officers after he was pinned to the ground

*Facebook has removed the original video, but many duplicates have made their way across social media.

For those who could not bear to watch the graphic Facebook Live video (but are curious to know the injustice that occurred), I have transcribed it below:

Reynolds: Stay with me. We got pulled over for a busted tail light in the back and he’s covered … they killed my boyfriend. He’s licensed to carry. He was trying to get out his ID and his wallet out his pocket and he let the officer know that he had a firearm and he was reaching for his wallet and the officer just shot him in his arm. We’re waiting for…

Officer: Ma’am, keep your hands where they are.

Reynolds: I will sir, no worries, I will.

Officer: [Expletive.]

Reynolds: He just shot his arm off. We got pulled over on Larpenteur.

Officer: I told him not to reach for it! I told him to get his head up!

Reynolds: He had, you told him to get his ID, sir, his driver’s license. Oh my God, please don’t tell me he’s dead.

Officer: [Expletive.]

Reynolds: Please don’t tell me my boyfriend just went like that.

Officer: Keep your hands where they are.

Reynolds: Yes I will, sir. I will keep my hands where they are. Please don’t tell me this Lord, please Jesus don’t tell me that he’s gone. Please don’t tell me that he’s gone. Please officer, don’t tell me that you just did this to him. You shot four bullets into him, sir. He was just getting his license and registration, sir.

[Silence]

Other Officer: [Yells] Get the female passenger out.

Another Officer: [Yells] “Ma’am exit the car now with your hands up. Let me see your hands. Exit now. Keep ‘em up, keep ‘em up.

Reynolds: Where’s my daughter? You have my daughter?”

Another Officer: Face away from me. Face away from me and walk backwards. Walk backwards towards me. Keep them up. Keep walking, keep walking, keep walking. Get on your knees, get on your knees.

[Silence]

Reynolds: What’s going on, why am I being arrested

Another Officer: Ma’am, you’re just being detained right now until we get this all sorted out, okay?

Reynolds: They threw my phone Facebook. Please don’t tell me, Lord Jesus please don’t tell me… Please don’t tell me my boyfriend’s dead. Please don’t tell me he’s gone. Please don’t tell me he’s gone. Jesus, no! Please no don’t let him be gone, no.

[Muffled Exchanges

[Two minutes later]

Reynolds: …license and registration. You told him to get it sir. You told him, he tried to tell you… Please don’t tell me my boyfriend is gone. He don’t deserve this. Please. He’s a good man, he works for St. Paul Public Schools. He’s got no records of, anything. He’s never been in jail, anything. He’s not a gang member, anything.

[Reynolds is heard praying]

[Two minutes later]

Reynolds: We in the back seat of the police car. Phil, sister, call me. The police just shot my boyfriend for no apparent reason. My phone is about to die. They shot him. He shot him three times because we had a busted taillight. He asked him for license and registration. He told the man it was in his wallet but he had a pistol on him because he’s licensed to carry. And the officer told him don’t move and he was putting his hands back up. The officer shot his arm about four or five times. I’m on Larpenteur and Fry, whoever can come to Larpenteur and Fry, that’s where I’m at. I’m going to need a ride home. We is on Larpenteur and Fry… We right here in Roseville. The Roseville Police got me handcuffed, my phone is about to die. I’m on Larpenteur and Fry. The Roseville Police Department just shot my boyfriend. They shot him four times. He’s license to carry. We had a busted taillight. And we had some weed in the car that’s about it.

[Silence]

Reynolds: It was a Chinese police officer that shot him. He’s Chinese, about 5’5-5’6 and a half, heavy set guy. He asked him for his license and registration which was in the back of his pocket because he keeps his wallet in his pocket. And as he went to reach, he let the officer know, before he was reaching, he had a firearm on him and before he can let the officer know anything, the officer took off shots. About four or five rounds were shot and my boyfriend, I don’t know what condition he’s in, I don’t know if he’s OK or if he’s not okay. I’m in the backseat of the police car handcuffed. I need a ride. I’m on Larpenteur and Fry. They have machine guns pointed.

Reynolds to Daughter: Don’t be scared.

Reynolds: My daughter just witnessed this. The police just shot him for no apparent reason, no reason at all. They asked for license and registration. That’s the police officer over there that did it, with the black on. I can’t really do shit because they’ve got me handcuffed.

Reynolds’ 4-year-old Daughter: It’s okay mommy.

Reynolds: I can’t believe they just did this. I’m fucking…. [yells]

Reynolds’ 4-year-old Daughter: It’s okay, I’m right here with you.

Reynolds: Ya’ll, please pray for us Jesus, please ya’ll. I ask everybody on Facebook, everybody that’s watching, everybody that’s tuned in, please, pray for us. Sister, I know I just dropped you off, but I need to be picked up. I need…to call my phone.