The mother of Philando Castile, a black motorist who was killed by a Minnesota police officer last year, has reached a nearly $3 million settlement in his death.
The settlement was announced Monday by attorneys for Valerie Castile and the city of St. Anthony.
"Under the terms of the settlement, Valerie Castile, as Trustee, will receive a payment in the amount of $2.995 million. The settlement will be paid through the City’s coverage with the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust. No taxpayer monies from the City of St. Anthony Village will be used to fund this settlement," reads a joint statement from Valerie Castile and the City of St. Anthony posted on the city's website. "The City and the Trustee (Valerie Castile) 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."
Castile, a popular 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker, was killed by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez during a July 6 traffic stop after Castile said he was armed. Castile had a permit for his gun.
The shooting gained widespread attention after Castile's girlfriend live streamed its aftermath on Facebook.
Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter and other charges earlier this month.
While agreed on by all parties, the settlement still requires state court approval.
Below is the joint statement in its entirety.
The mother of Philando Castile, acting as the Trustee for the Next-of-Kin of Philando Castile, with the advice and counsel of her lawyers Robert Bennett and Glenda Hatchett, and the City of St. Anthony Village, Minnesota have agreed to a settlement of all civil claims related to the death of Philando Castile during a police stop on July 6, 2016.
Under the terms of the settlement, Valerie Castile, as Trustee, will receive a payment in the amount of $2.995 million. The settlement will be paid through the City’s coverage with the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust. No taxpayer monies from the City of St. Anthony Village will be used to fund this settlement. 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.
This settlement was made possible because of the good faith efforts of the City of St. Anthony Village, League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust and Valerie Castile. The death of Philando Castile is a tragedy for his family and for our community. 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 .
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 important work of healing our community continues. The City of St. Anthony Village reaffirms its commitment to transforming its police department in partnership with the United States Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Through the Collaborative Reform Initiative, the City and residents are working to improve trust between the police department and the communities it serves.
