How Philando Castile's legacy lives on 10 years after officer shot, killed him

It's been a decade since a Twin Cities police officer shot and killed Philando Castile during a traffic stop for a broken tail light.

The officer, Jeronimo Yanez, pulled over Philando Castile, a 32-year-old Black man, on Larpenteur Avenue in Falcon Heights near the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. 

Though Philando Castile told the officer he had a firearm and a permit to legally carry, Yanez shot him five times at close range. His girlfriend livestreamed the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook.

Yanez was charged with manslaughter but was acquitted by a jury.

"I don't want it to be a sad day. I want us to come together and fellowship and uplift one another and empower one another and live in peace and harmony," his mother Valerie Castile told WCCO in 2024. 

The site where he was shot has been turned into a garden, created in his memory. The portion of the street has also been renamed to Philando Castile Memorial Avenue.

The annual Central Honors Philando event is scheduled for Aug. 23 to celebrate his life and raise money for a scholarship in his name. The Philando Castile Memorial Scholarship is awarded every year to a St. Paul Central High School senior.

"Because of the things Philando did, you know, being at school early enough to help the children with disabilities get off the bus and make sure all the kids were fed even though he paid out of his pocket sometimes. That was important for me to rally for food insecurities in our food system," said Valerie Castile.

Philando Castile was a nutrition services supervisor at JJ Hill Montessori Magnet School in St. Paul. Because of how he cared for students there, his mother started the Philando Castile Relief Foundation and raised funds to pay off cafeteria debts for children who couldn't afford school lunch. Her work led to Gov. Tim Walz signing a bill in 2023 providing basic breakfast and lunch to every child in Minnesota.

Since his death, Minnesota public safety officials have updated the state's driver's manual to better reflect guidance and protocols for when officers pull over drivers who are legally carrying a gun. Valerie Castile pushed for the change for years.