July 2016
Philando Castile, 32, was shot seven times by St. Anthony, MN officer Jeronimo Yanez during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, MN. Castile had calmly informed Yanez he had a licensed firearm; Yanez shot him seconds later. His girlfriend Diamond Reynolds live-streamed the aftermath on Facebook, with Castile's four-year-old daughter in the back seat. Yanez was acquitted of all charges in June 2017. The city of Falcon Heights settled with Reynolds for $800,000. Castile's killing became a defining case in debates about policing and Black gun owners.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously struck down North Carolina's 2013 omnibus voting law on July 29, 2016, finding it targeted African American voters 'with almost surgical precision.' The law had eliminated same-day registration, cut early voting, banned out-of-precinct voting, and required photo ID — after the legislature requested data on which methods Black voters used most. The court found lawmakers had requested this racial data and then restricted those specific methods. The ruling was a major voting rights victory in the wake of Shelby County.
Events
- July 6, 2016Philando Castile Shot During Traffic Stop; Girlfriend Live-Streams Aftermath
Philando Castile, 32, was shot seven times by St. Anthony, MN officer Jeronimo Yanez during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, MN. Castile had calmly informed Yanez he had a licensed firearm; Yanez shot him seconds later. His girlfriend Diamond Reynolds live-streamed the aftermath on Facebook, with Castile's four-year-old daughter in the back seat. Yanez was acquitted of all charges in June 2017. The city of Falcon Heights settled with Reynolds for $800,000. Castile's killing became a defining case in debates about policing and Black gun owners.
- July 5, 2016Alton Sterling Shot and Killed by Baton Rouge Police
Alton Sterling, 37, was selling CDs outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, LA, when police were called. Officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II pinned Sterling to the ground; Salamoni shot him six times at close range. The entire encounter was captured on cellphone video. The DOJ under Obama declined federal civil rights charges in 2017. Salamoni was fired in 2018; Lake received a three-day suspension. Louisiana state prosecutors declined to file charges. Sterling's killing occurred one day before Philando Castile's death, triggering national protests.
- July 29, 2016Fourth Circuit Strikes Down North Carolina Voting Law as Targeting Black Voters
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously struck down North Carolina's 2013 omnibus voting law on July 29, 2016, finding it targeted African American voters 'with almost surgical precision.' The law had eliminated same-day registration, cut early voting, banned out-of-precinct voting, and required photo ID — after the legislature requested data on which methods Black voters used most. The court found lawmakers had requested this racial data and then restricted those specific methods. The ruling was a major voting rights victory in the wake of Shelby County.
- July 7, 2016Micah Johnson Ambushes Dallas Police Officers, Killing Five
During a protest against police killings of Black men in Dallas, TX, Micah Johnson, an Army veteran, ambushed police officers, killing five and wounding nine, along with two civilians. Johnson stated he was angry about police killings of Black men. He was killed by a police robot-delivered bomb after negotiations failed. The attack was used by critics to delegitimize Black Lives Matter protests, though BLM organizations condemned the killings.