About a month and a half after killing Philando Castile in Minnesota, officer Jeronimo Yanez went back to work this week.
The 28-year-old cop's return was announced in a statement that read,
Officer Jeronimo Yanez has returned to active service with the St. Anthony Police Department on a limited, office duty schedule. His first day was August 15. He is working in a limited, administrative role until a decision related to the investigation in this case has been made.
Yanez made headlines last month when he shot Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, near Minneapolis.
The aftermath of the shooting was streamed by Castile's girlfriend and driver, Diamond Reynolds, who used Facebook Live to capture the images of Castile dying next to her, while her daughter sat in the back seat of the car.
In the video, Yanez is shown pointing his gun at Castile as the wounded passenger bleeds severely.
This week, Yanez returned with the support of his boss, Police Chief Jon Mangseth, who defended the officer in an interview with The Associated Press.
Mangseth said,
He has a real sound ability when it comes to communicating and relating to people. He showed me that he could shine in that public eye.
The word-choice might seem odd for some, given that Yanez's absence was caused by a situation that seemed to have been caused by bad communication.
Reynolds said the officer shot Castile, who had a license to carry a firearm, while Castile was reaching for his wallet. She also claims that officer was warned that Castile had a legal firearm on his person.
The shooting is being reviewed by Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Until the end of that investigation, Yanez looks set to continue his work in a new, limited role.
Citations: Fox 9
