The girlfriend of a Minnesota man whose death at the hands of a police officer was captured on Facebook has been charged with assault.
Diamond Laray Reynolds, who live streamed the aftermath of Philando Castile’s fatal shooting, was arrested and charged in connection to a hammer assault on Friday.
According to WCCO, officers were called to the 1500 block of Jessamine Lane in Minneapolis around 10:30 a.m. for a report of an assault in progress. The 911 caller told police a group of about 7 or 8 women “jumped” another woman and hit her in the head with a hammer.
The 25-year-old victim suffered serious injuries and was taken to Regions Hospital. Officials say she was driving eastbound on Magnolia Avenue near Johnson Parkway when she noticed she was being followed by a white SUV.
She pulled into the parking lot of her residence, got out and saw several women, including Reynolds, 27. She says she tried to get away from Reynolds and two other women, but was soon confronted and hit in the head with a hammer. Dyamond Richardson allegedly sprayed her with mace before the group fled the scene.
Officer Jeronimo Yanez, 28, was charged with manslaughter in the July fatal wounding of Castile, 32, who was pulled over for a broken taillight in Falcon Heights, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis. Yanez defense attorneys have maintained that Castile reached for his gun during the stop, justifying the shooting, but prosecutors argued that Castile’s gun, which he had a license for, was properly concealed and that he never attempted to remove or draw it.
The Washington County Attorney’s office is handling the case. Reynolds is charged with one count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and a count of third-degree assault inflicting substantial bodily harm. She could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted.
