Officer who shot Philando Castile said smell of marijuana made him fear for his life.

In 2017 the smell of marijuana in your car is enough of a reason to be killed. In court documents the officer who killed Philando Castile stated that as he approached Phiando’s car the smell of weed made him fear for his life.

Officer Jeronimo Yanez told investigators I thought, I was going to die. Officer Jeronimo was quoted saying “And I thought if he has the guts and audacity to smoke marijuana in front of the five-year old girl and risk her lungs and risk her life by giving her secondhand smoke and the front passenger doing the same thing then what, what care does he give about me. And, I let off the rounds and then after the rounds were off, the little girl was screaming.”

What’s more traumatic to a child there parents smoking weed in front of them or their parent being killed in front of them. Since when did smoking marijuana justify a homicide?

The smell of marijuana has become a recurring excuse to justify murder. In North Carolina a police officer approached Keith Lamont car after observing him smoke weed, which ended with the murder of Keith. The officer in question says in an incident report, he decided to take action for the public safety.

Yanez’s attorney ask the judge to throw out manslaughter charges because Castile was high which made him partially responsible for his own death.

Officer Yanez stated that the smell of weed made him fear for his life. So does that mean everyone he pulls over with the smell of weed in their car, just might be killed. Mr. Yanez is justifying murder with fear base thought. If you were so concerned for the safety of the public and the child in the back seat why not take her out of the car. Instead you have traumatized her for life. Mr. Yanez may have gotten away in the eyes of the law. To the average person he Is guilty. Since when is smoking marijuana a reason to be killed in front of your family. This case just further shows the disregard for life and lack of accountability for officers misconduct.

Source: The Washington Post