Diamond Reynolds Nails What's Wrong With Media Coverage Of Philando Castile

"I’ve already made my statement. I don’t want to keep reliving this moment."
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The girlfriend of the Minnesota man shot and killed Wednesday by a police officer during a traffic stop has been fielding plenty of questions since the incident. Now Diamond Reynolds just wants some space to mourn.

After CNN’s Chris Cuomo repeatedly pressed her for information about Philando Castile’s shooting, which Reynolds broadcast on Facebook Live, she shot back:

“I’m grieving the loss of a loved one, of a best friend, of a role model, and father figure to my child,” she said. “You guys constantly keep asking me all of these disturbing questions, and I’ve already made my statement. I don’t want to keep reliving this moment.”

Earlier in the interview, Cuomo asked Castile’s mother, Valerie, if she had any response to Thursday night’s deadly shooting of police officers in Dallas.

“I don’t know anything about what happened in Dallas,” Castile answered. “My son died just the other day and I haven’t had sleep in almost 48 hours. So, no, I haven’t been watching any television, so I can’t answer that.”

Reynolds asked why the media wasn’t putting more attention on the police officer and what he was doing prior to the shooting.

“I want people to know who did this to us,” she said. “We didn’t do this to ourselves, and I just want the world to know that.”

Officials on Thursday identified Jeronimo Yanez as the officer who fired the fatal shots. He has been placed on administrative leave.

Castile was pulled over because of a broken taillight. When Yanez approached the car, Reynolds said Wednesday, Castile told the officer he had a licensed weapon and that he was going to reach into his pocket for his driver’s license.

Officials said that Yanez then “discharged his weapon, striking Castile multiple times.”

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said that he believes Castile wouldn’t have been killed if he were white.

“I think all of us in Minnesota are forced to confront that this kind of racism exists,” he told the Washington Post. “Nobody should be shot and killed in Minnesota for a taillight being out of function.”

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