Update (November 19, 2019): Diamond Reynolds, who captured the moment her late boyfriend Philando Castile was fatally shot by a police officer, is suing Elysian, Minnesota, mayor Tom McBroom for defamation.
In November of 2017, the St. Anthony city council voted to give Reynolds $800,000 in connection to the tragedy. St. Anthony was where officer Jeronimo Yanez killed the beloved cafeteria aide. Following news of the settlement, McBroom, who'd been a sheriff’s sergeant in Rice County at the time, sent a tweet relaying indignation, reports The Minnesota Star Tribune.
“She needs to come off County and State Aid now that she has some cash. It’ll be gone in 6 months on crack cocaine," he wrote in the November 28, 2017, tweet.
No reports have indicated that Reynolds has a history of drug abuse. Although he was demoted from his position as sergeant following the malicious tweet, McBroom, who is white, was elected mayor of Elysian last year.
“The Defendant was alleging that Plaintiff is an abuser of serious drugs, has an addiction that causes her financial stress, and is someone who bases her entire existence in terms of her costs of daily living on support from municipalities and other State of Minnesota entities,” the lawsuit states.
When asked by a Twitter user why he presumed Reynolds would spend the settlement money on drugs, he simply responded with "history," according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. When explaining his tweet to The City Pages he said he's seen "them" dressed nicely when coming to the courthouse.
“I’ve seen them come to court. They’ve lost their children, but they come to court dressed to the nines with Michael Kors purses,” McBroom said. “To be frank with you … I see it time and time again and I just shake my head and say why wasn’t there anyone to help that person?”
Who exactly he means by them is unclear, but one can only fathom.
Reynolds is seeking $50,000 with the lawsuit against McBroom. May she win and he be quiet about it.
Original story (November 29, 2017): We will never forget the tragic footage that Diamond Reynolds so bravely captured of Philando Castile's fatal shooting, which unfolded as her daughter sat in the car.
Castile was shot dead by St. Anthony, Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez in front of Reynolds and her daughter. Yanez said in court that he believed Castile was going to shoot him, and was acquitted of manslaughter and other charges.
He was not fired from the department out of fear that he would file a grievance against the city for wrongful termination, CNN reports. However, he no longer works for the St. Anthony Police Department.
In lieu of a criminal conviction, Philando's mother Valerie Castile received a $3 million settlement from the city of St. Anthony this past June.
Now, according to the LA Times, Reynolds is receiving a settlement as well.
St. Anthony's city council voted to pay out $675,000 to Reynolds earlier this week. The League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust and the city of Roseville will pay Reynolds $125,000, for a combined total of $800,000. Roseville is where Reynolds was detained by police following the shooting.
St. Anthony Mayor Jerry Faust described the settlement as a resolution that "opens the door to healing." The city has released a statement that said the money also serves to close the case on Reynold's claims of "emotional distress and false arrest."
"The settlement symbolizes that what happened to my daughter and I on July 6, 2016, was wrong," Reynolds said. "While no amount of money can change what happened, bring Philando back, or erase the pain that my daughter and I continue to suffer, I do hope that closing this chapter will allow us to get our lives back and move forward."
