Philando Castile: 32 years old 

Favorite song: “Who Detached Us” by Nipsey Hussle 

Favorite colors: royal blue and gold

Philando Castile was a 32 year old supervisor of the nutrition department at J.J. Hill Montessori School.  He was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, by a St. Anthony, Minnesota, police officer on July 6, 2016. In the car with Philando was his partner Diamond Reynolds and her 4-year-old daughter. 

As Philando was reaching for his driver's license, he notified the officer immediately that he had a legally licensed firearm in the car. The officer told him not to reach for it or pull it out. Philando calmly replied that he was neither reaching for it nor pulling it out. Diamond also confirmed for the officer that Philando was not reaching for it. The officer then shot at Philando, seven times at close range. Five of the bullets struck and killed him.  

Diamond livestreamed the shooting to Facebook. The police officer was charged with second-degree manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm. He was acquitted of all charges in a jury trial on June 16, 2017. The officer was fired by the City of Saint Anthony. Diamond Reynolds and Philando Castile’s family brought wrongful death lawsuits against the city that were settled for $3.8 million.

In response to his death, community members, local politicians, and the Castile family came together to establish the Friends of Philando Castile Peace Garden.

Philando (affectionally known as Mr. Phil by his beloved students) was known for paying out of his own pocket to cover lunch for students who couldn’t pay, and the Philando Castile Relief Foundation raised over $200,000 to pay off student lunch debt. Philando’s mother Valerie was one main advocates of Minnesota’s Free School Meals for Kids law and stood behind Governor Tim Walz as he signed it into legislation in 2023.