The aftermath of a police-involved shooting was captured on Facebook Live by a woman identifying herself as the victim’s girlfriend. The video, which has seemingly been pulled from Facebook, features the harrowing visuals of a man with a blood-soaked T-shirt rolling listlessly in the car as an officer points his gun into the vehicle.
Minnesota station WCCO is identifying the woman as Lavish Reynolds and the shooting victim as Philando Castile.
The footage is made even more heart-wrenching by the woman’s young daughter, who was outside the car with other officers, trying to comfort her mom. Police bark orders as the woman prays that her boyfriend is still alive and insists that they were pulled over for a “busted tail light.”
The video was seemingly pulled from Facebook, but is available via YouTube, at least for now. WARNING, extremely graphic viewing.
The video was seemingly pulled from Facebook, but is available via YouTube, at least for now.
A station in the area where the incident reportedly occurred, in Falcon Heights, Minn., is reporting on the shooting. Officers confirmed a traffic stop, shooting but offered little information other than that an investigation is underway.
“I do not have a lot of information at this time. I don’t know the reason for the traffic stop or what the circumstances were,” said interim St. Anthony Police Chief Jon Mangseth, according to KSTP-TV. The interim chief also said he had no information on the victim’s condition, though family reportedly told WCCO that Castile later died.
This police-involved incident follows another story drawing outrage and despair. Alton Sterling died at the hands of police in Baton Rouge, as reported here earlier today. We will update as more details become available.
