--- description: The family of Philando Castile—who was fatally shot by a Minnesota police officer last week—plans to file a lawsuit over his death title: Philando Castile's Family Vows to Sue Over His Death, Lawyer Says image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt73437552c9f57ec2/69889ba2fb4eac57af88e436/philand-castile-family-lawyer.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Minnesota](/tag/minnesota/) ## Minnesota Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Philando Castile's Family Vows to Sue Over His Death, Lawyer Says  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 12, 2016 5:31 PM CUT  Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, speaks at a press conference on July 12, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, speaks at a press conference on July 12, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota.Stephen Maturen/Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 12, 2016 5:31 PM CUT The family of [Philando Castile](http://time.com/4399844/philando-castile-shooting-memorial/ "undefined")—whose shooting death by a Minnesota police officer last week garnered national attention when the [aftermath was streamed](http://time.com/4398580/diamond-reynolds-video/ "undefined") on Facebook Live—plans to file a lawsuit over his death. “Yes, we will aggressively pursue justice on his behalf. Yes, there will be a lawsuit,” said Judge Glenda Hatchett, the family’s attorney, at a press conference on Tuesday morning. Hatchett said she will request that a special prosecutor be appointed to handle the case, and she said she plans to sue the responsible parties, the [Minneapolis _Star-Tribune_ reported](http://www.startribune.com/castile-services-noon-thursday-at-st-paul-cathedral/386487091/ "undefined"). “I will see you in court,” Hatchett said, responding to [remarks made in recent days](http://time.com/4399926/philando-castile-shooting-jeronimo-yanez/ "undefined") by the attorney for police officer Jeronimo Yanez. The attorney, Thomas Kelly, said the incident “had nothing to do with race and everything to do with the presence of the gun that Mr. Castile had.” In the video of the traffic stop, Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, said he told the officer he was licensed to carry a concealed weapon. **Read more:** [Philando Castile Shooting Highlights Racial Disparities in Traffic Stops](http://time.com/4401794/philando-castile-shooting-traffic-stops/ "undefined") State officials are [investigating the shooting](http://time.com/4399262/minnesota-prosecutor-choi-philando-castile/ "undefined"), but Hatchett said she won’t depend on the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation alone in proceeding with a lawsuit. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, and that work is just beginning,” she said Tuesday. Castile’s mother, Valerie, also spoke at the press conference, demanding change. “If this is the direction of humanity, then we’re doomed,” she said. “Things have to change, so what are we going to do about it?” Funeral services for Philando Castile will be held in St. Paul on Thursday. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4403079/philando-castiles-family-vows-to-sue-over-his-death-lawyer-says/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4403079/philando-castiles-family-vows-to-sue-over-his-death-lawyer-says/"},"headline":"Philando Castile's Family Vows to Sue Over His Death, Lawyer Says","datePublished":"2016-07-12T17:31:45.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T23:12:11.287Z","description":"\"Yes, we will aggressively pursue justice on his behalf\"","url":"https://time.com/4403079/philando-castiles-family-vows-to-sue-over-his-death-lawyer-says/","keywords":["Minnesota","Crime","police"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt73437552c9f57ec2/69889ba2fb4eac57af88e436/philand-castile-family-lawyer.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Reilly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt73437552c9f57ec2/69889ba2fb4eac57af88e436/philand-castile-family-lawyer.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Family And Attorney For Philando Castile Hold News Conference At City Hall","caption":"Family And Attorney For Philando Castile Hold News Conference At City Hall","creditText":"Stephen Maturen/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/minnesota/","name":"Minnesota"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4403079/philando-castiles-family-vows-to-sue-over-his-death-lawyer-says/","name":"Philando Castile's Family Vows to Sue Over His Death, Lawyer Says"}}]}] ```