On Monday, Jeronimo Yanez, the officer acquitted in the 2016 murder of Philando Castile, signed an agreement to receive $48,500 to part ways with the Minnesota police department.
Last month, Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of the 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker. Shortly after the verdict, the city said that “the public will be best served” if the officer was no longer on the force. Therefore, the department provided a separation agreement that would “end all employment rights” for Yanez.
“Since Officer Yanez was not convicted of a crime, as a public employee, he would have appeal and grievance rights if terminated,” the city said in a statement, revealing that the officer’s annual salary was over $72,000 at the time of the shooting. “A reasonable voluntary separation agreement brings to a close one part of this horrible tragedy. The City concluded this was the most thoughtful way to move forward and help the community-wide healing process proceed.”
The agreement will provide Yanez with a lump sum of money, minus taxes and deductions. He will also be paid for up to 600 hours of accrued and unused personal time off pay.
After reports surfaced of the agreement, Castile’s uncle said he was glad Yanez was removed from the force, despite the fact that he should be in jail.
“He should be in jail,” Clarence Castile said. “He’s like a fish that wiggled his way off a hook… Hopefully, he won’t be able to get a police job in the United States. Because he’s a poor example of a police officer.”
