Police Training Fund Will Not Be Named For Philando Castile

Kaeli Subberwal

A Minnesota peace officer training board has voted down a proposal to name a $12 million police training fund after Philando Castile, a black man killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in 2016.

The Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training voted Thursday morning to retain the original name of the fund, the Peace Officer Training Assistance Fund. The fund, approved by the state legislature earlier this year, aims to improve community-police relations by emphasizing de-escalation, addressing implicit bias and promoting diversity.

The board made the decision by a vote of 8-2, with one abstention.

Castile’s uncle, Clarence Castile, whom Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D) appointed to the POST board, voted to name the fund after his nephew. Prior to the vote, he compared the possibility to an “olive branch that’s been extended by law enforcement and government saying we want to try to start to rebuild.”

“Of course you wouldn’t want to name it after Philando because, every time you get out of your car, Philando Castile’s name is going to play in your head,” Castile’s friend John Thompson told the board.

Dayton proposed in early July to name the fund in Castile’s honor ― a suggestion Castile’s family supported but that law enforcement groups opposed, arguing that it was a “tone-deaf” insult to the state’s police officers. Dayton has stated that he stands by his recommendation after the POST vote.

Lt. Bob Kroll, who is president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis and who testified before the board, suggested that the governor’s call to name the fund after Castile may have been a political move.

“We looked at it as irresponsible statements by Governor Dayton. The shooting happened and he came out and condemned the officer immediately. And that’s in the interest of politics and gaining votes,” Kroll told HuffPost. “It had nothing to do with the reality of the situation. Officer [Jeronimo] Yanez was tried and found not guilty by a jury. So the justice system was followed. And this is just the governor trying to garner votes for the Democratic party.”

Former St. Anthony police officer Yanez pulled Castile over for a broken taillight and shot him while Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her four-year-old daughter were in the car. Yanez testified that he thought Castile was drawing a gun and that he feared for his life, while Reynolds argued that Castile posed no threat. Yanez was found not guilty of second-degree manslaughter in June.

Kroll opposed the move to name the fund in Castile’s honor, noting the number of fallen police officers whom the fund could have honored.

“My position was we’ve had 243 officers in the state of Minnesota that have been killed in the line of duty, and we’ve never named a bill after them,” Kroll told HuffPost. “Why would we name it after a person that, in the end, was shot by police and the shooting was ruled to be justifiable?”

Castile’s family expressed disappointment in the decision.

“It’s just a pitiful shame that they voted against it when the governor recommended it,” Castile’s mother, Valerie Castile, told the Pioneer Press after the vote.

In explaining the POST board’s decision, both Kroll and Nate Gove, the board’s executive director (who was not one of the voting members), emphasized that the board has never voted to name such a fund after an individual person.

Although Castile’s mother told the Pioneer Press that the decision was “absolutely” a step back for community-police relations, Gove expressed optimism about the effects of the new training fund.

“My hope moving forward is that for those whose trust has been strained, law enforcement and the public can come together. I believe this additional funding and new mandatory training is a step in that direction.”

Also on HuffPost

The four-year-old daughter of Diamond Reynolds, who was in the car when Philando Castile was fatally shot during a traffic stop by police, is held by a friend during a "Black Lives Matter" protest in front of the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S., July 7, 2016. 
The four-year-old daughter of Diamond Reynolds, who was in the car when Philando Castile was fatally shot during a traffic stop by police, is held by a friend during a "Black Lives Matter" protest in front of the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S., July 7, 2016. 
People protest outside the Minnesota Governor's Residence in St. Paul Minnesota on July 7, 2016.
People protest outside the Minnesota Governor's Residence in St. Paul Minnesota on July 7, 2016.
Diamond Reynolds is recorded on a cell phone as she recounts the incidents that led to the fatal shooting of her boyfriend Philando Castile by Minneapolis area police during a traffic stop on Wednesday, at a "Black Lives Matter" demonstration, in front of the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S., July 7, 2016. 
Diamond Reynolds is recorded on a cell phone as she recounts the incidents that led to the fatal shooting of her boyfriend Philando Castile by Minneapolis area police during a traffic stop on Wednesday, at a "Black Lives Matter" demonstration, in front of the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S., July 7, 2016. 
A memorial left for Philando Castile following the police shooting death of a black man on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Philando Castile was shot and killed last night, July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN. 
A memorial left for Philando Castile following the police shooting death of a black man on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Philando Castile was shot and killed last night, July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN. 
Activists and community members protest the killing of Philando Castile outside the Governor's Mansion on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Castile was shot and killed last night, July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN. 
Activists and community members protest the killing of Philando Castile outside the Governor's Mansion on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Castile was shot and killed last night, July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN. 
Signs outside the governor's mansion.
Signs outside the governor's mansion.
Signs outside the governor's mansion.
Signs outside the governor's mansion.
Clarence D. Castile, uncle of Philando Castile, speaks outside the Governor's Mansion on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Philando Castile was shot and killed last night, July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Clarence D. Castile, uncle of Philando Castile, speaks outside the Governor's Mansion on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Philando Castile was shot and killed last night, July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Jacob Ladda leads a chant for Philando Castile outside Governor's Mansion on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Castile was shot and killed last night, July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Jacob Ladda leads a chant for Philando Castile outside Governor's Mansion on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Castile was shot and killed last night, July 6, 2016, by a police officer in Falcon Heights, MN. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Pastor Brian Heron leads a prayer for Philando Castile outside Governor's Mansion on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. 
Pastor Brian Heron leads a prayer for Philando Castile outside Governor's Mansion on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.