Dashcam video shows officer firing 7 shots into Castile car

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota police officer who pulled over Philando Castile politely told the driver that his brake lights were out and calmly instructed him not to pull out his handgun before suddenly drawing his own weapon and firing seven rounds into the car, a video released Tuesday showed.

The dashboard video taken from Officer Jeronimo Yanez's squad car illustrated how a simple traffic stop shifted from a routine exchange to a deadly confrontation in an instant.

When Yanez opens fire, another officer near the car jumps back, and Yanez begins yelling at the driver.

Castile, a 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker, had a permit to carry his weapon.

Steven Belton, president and CEO of Minneapolis Urban League, said the footage was "powerfully painful" and that Castile was "gunned down like a rabid animal."

The footage shows a wide view of the traffic stop and the shooting, with the camera pointed toward Castile's car.

The video shows Yanez's backup officer, Joseph Kauser, standing on the passenger side of the vehicle, retreating when the shots were fired.

After the shooting, the video shows Yanez standing at the car window with his gun drawn for some time.