St. Anthony, Minn., Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and other charges in the fatal shooting of Philando Castile on Monday, signaling that the case will head to trial.
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According to the Associated Press, Ramsey County District Judge William Leary III has set a trial date for May 30.
Yanez shot Castile, 32, during a July 6 traffic stop after Castile informed the officer that he was armed with a weapon that he had a permit to carry. The case quickly garnered national outrage, especially since Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who was in the car at the time, streamed the shooting’s aftermath live on Facebook. Reynolds’ 4-year-old daughter was also in the car at the time of the shooting.
Defense attorneys claim that Yanez feared for his life and had “no choice” but to shoot Castile, claiming that the beloved school cafeteria worker disobeyed orders and was “stoned,” KMSP notes.
Yanez is facing charges of second-degree manslaughter and two felony counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm.
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